Date : 17.08.2007
Title : Loves' Past and Present
Author : ElaineDex
Chapter : 5 of ?
Rating : M
Pairings : Lt. Col. John Sheppard/Lyssa Hunter
Major Evan Lorne/Dr Ellie Harrison
Warnings : Angst/hurt.
Spoilers : This story is part of a series and follows on from Love's Dance With A Stranger.
Feedback : Yes
Disclaimer : Dr Ellie Harrison, Major James Reece, Lt Franks & Heather Russell are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid. Stargate & Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, have nothing to do with me.
Summary : Find out how Sheppard and Lyssa's wedding plans cause chaos on Atlantis and what happens when tragedy strikes for Ellie and Lorne?
Bad news travelled fast on Atlantis and it wasn't long before the rumour mill started to buzz with news of Ellie and Lorne's split.
"Is it permanent?", Lyssa asked of Ellie as they got some air on one of the cities' outer walk ways.
"I don't know", Ellie replied wrapping her jacket around herself as she shivered against the ocean breeze.
"Ellie, it's only been a week since you lost the baby. You and Lorne should be together, trying to work through your grief not battling it out alone", Lyssa said and Ellie closed her eyes as they filled with tears.
She was sick of crying and of thinking about her problems.
"I was thinking of going to the mainland tomorrow with Hope. Would you like to go with me? You could bring Conner", she said, changing the subject and Lyssa sighed.
"Sure…why not", she murmured, frowning at her friend.
She was worried about Ellie. Maybe Sheppard could speak to Lorne.
OOoOO
"She won't talk to me", Lorne said, his tone exasperated as he turned to Sheppard.
"I've tried e-mailing her, all kinds of stuff but she's avoiding me".
"How're you holding up?", Sheppard asked.
He could see Lorne looked tired and aside from being concerned as a friend, he needed to know that his second in command was up to his job.
"I'm alright Sir", Lorne replied, knowing what Sheppard was asking in not so many words.
"You sure? Cause if you want some personal time I'm sure Elizabeth could……", Sheppard trailed off as Lorne shook his head.
"No, thanks. I'd prefer to be busy".
"Okay….if you change your mind……", Sheppard said and Lorne nodded.
"I'll go and see Weir if I do".
OOoOO
A few days later, Sheppard and his team were off-world when an opportunity arose for a trade-off with some local people.
A recent fire had wiped out most of their properties and all they wanted in exchange for some invaluable medical knowledge that Beckett would probably kill for, was a hand erecting some new buildings.
"Are we not supposed to wait for Heather before we make any trades?", Teyla asked as Sheppard shook hands with the leader of the people and Sheppard shrugged.
Rodney and Teyla exchanged a glance as they headed back to the Stargate.
Back on Atlantis a while later, Heather was creating holy hell in Weir's office as she learnt that Sheppard had carried out a trade without her being present.
"What is the point of me being here if you're going to completely disregard my instructions?", she shot at Sheppard who shrugged in response.
"There is no point", he replied nonchalantly and just as Heather looked set to explode again, Weir raised her hands.
"Look, Colonel, the SGC feels that we need someone in control of our trades and that is why they sent Heather".
"Well I feel that we don't need any help in that area", Sheppard replied and Heather folded her arms.
"Well unfortunately for you, you don't make the decisions around here Colonel so from here-on-in, if you have a trade to make, you get back here and find me. Are we quite clear on that?"
"Crystal", Sheppard replied sarcastically and Heather smiled coldly.
"Good. Now if you'll excuse me I have to get ready to go with Major Reece's team. He has followed protocol and we're about to negotiate for information about the possible whereabouts of a ZPM".
As Heather left Weir's office, Sheppard pulled a face at her back and Weir hid a smile.
"John, she's only trying to do the job she's been sent here to do", she tried to reason but Sheppard stood and folded his arms.
"We don't need a negotiator though Elizabeth. You can bet that sometime in the future we'll get back here, get her, get back to the planet and the people we were going to trade with will have gone", he grumbled and Weir nodded.
"Well then, if that is what continues to happen we will have grounds to get rid of Heather but until then there is nothing I can do about it John. I'm sorry".
Sheppard nodded and sighed deeply.
OOoOO
A couple of weeks went by and so far Sheppard's, Lorne's and Reece's teams had lost six trades in total, a fact that Sheppard was closely keeping an eye on.
Ellie and Lorne had still not talked and Heather was revelling in that fact.
One afternoon she went to the gym area only to discover that Lorne was about to go on a run around the city.
"Mind if I join you?", she asked, pulling on her sneakers and Lorne shrugged.
"If you can keep up, you can run with me. If not, just follow the route I take", he replied and she nodded, following him out of the door.
They were halfway around the city when Lorne rounded a corner and almost ran into Ellie who was carrying Hope on her hip.
"Hey", he said, a little out of breath and Ellie tried to avert her eyes from his muscular arms and chest which was proving a little difficult in light of the fact he only wore a training vest with his joggers.
As Heather drew level with them, Hope reached out her arms to Lorne and tried to squirm toward him.
"No honey, Evan's busy right now", Ellie said, trying to keep hold of the toddler but she was struggling and shouldn't really be carrying anything heavy just yet.
Lorne knew this and he plucked Hope from her and held her in one arm.
"That's ok. How's my favourite little girl?", he asked and Hope giggled as Lorne tickled her neck.
Ellie watched on, torn between snatching her child from Lorne and leaving or staying and enjoying the way he fussed over her daughter.
Hope had missed Lorne these last weeks.
She wasn't the only one.
Heather looked on disdainfully and said,
"Evan, we should keep going. You shouldn't cool down, you'll get cramps".
Lorne and Ellie exchanged a glance and Lorne put Hope down on the floor, Ellie grasping one of her hands whilst he held the other.
"How's her walking coming along?", he asked and Ellie smiled.
"She's doing great", she replied and Lorne nodded.
"You should let her walk back, you shouldn't be carrying her", he said.
Ellie looked at him and frowned. He still sounded like he cared. She wondered if he really did and why was he out running with Heather?
Stop it!
She shouted at herself mentally. She was asking herself too many questions again and it wasn't good for her.
Ellie took Hope's other hand from Lorne and stood to one side so that he and Heather could pass by.
"We'll see you around Ellie", Heather said and Ellie looked down at her daughter to hide the sad expression on her face.
Did Heather's comment mean that she and Lorne were going to be seeing more of one another? Were they getting back together?
She turned away and walked slowly with Hope back the way she'd come.
If Lorne did get back with Heather she didn't know how she'd cope.
OOoOO
Sheppard had made the mistake of venturing into Rodney's lab one afternoon only to find himself bombarded with questions about the wedding.
Rodney sighed despondently as Sheppard said,
"Sorry Rodney but Franks is in charge of the chairs for the ceremony".
"For god's sake", Rodney moaned, "How can somebody be in charge of chairs?".
"Well, you wanted to be", Sheppard replied and Rodney glared at him.
"I think you'd have found that I would have done a much superior job with them than Lieutenant Franks will", he said haughtily and Sheppard frowned at him.
"Rodney….they're chairs…..what can go wrong?"
"Ah…..you'll see…..then you'll be coming to me saying you wished I'd have been in charge of the chairs", Rodney said and Sheppard groaned.
"Whatever……look, can't you just be happy doing nothing?", he asked and Rodney stared at him incredulously.
"No I cannot just be happy doing nothing".
"Why not, you normally are", Sheppard muttered under his breath but Rodney said,
"I heard that".
"You were meant to", Sheppard said as he left the lab to get some peace.
OOoOO
Lorne was eating his lunch with Franks and Reece when Ellie entered the mess hall with Ronon and Hope.
He watched sadly as Ronon held Hope whilst Ellie got them all something to eat and drink and he had to fight down the jealousy that hit him hard in the chest over their little display of family unity.
He dragged his eyes away just as Reece was saying,
"Hey did you hear about Colonel Edwards who heads up SG-2 back home?"
"No", Franks replied and Reece continued,
"He's been badly wounded off world and the SGC is on the lookout for a temporary replacement until he's back".
"Oh……well, I'm sure someone will step up to fill the breach", Franks replied, taking a swig of his coffee and Lorne looked away thoughtfully.
oo
A while later he emerged from Weir's office wondering had he done the right thing in volunteering to return to earth.
Still, it was done now and there was no going back.
OOoOO
Sheppard stared at Weir as she told him of Lorne's request.
"I hope you told him he couldn't go?", Sheppard said and Weir shook her head.
"I can't do that John, it's his decision".
"You know he'll want to come back though right? I mean he'll probably only be gone a day and he'll miss Ellie so badly he'll want to come back", Sheppard said, loath to lose a good man like Lorne.
"There's nothing I can do. He wants to head up SG-2", Weir said and Sheppard sighed.
"But that's only temporary. What's he gonna do when Edwards is recovered?".
"I don't know, I'm sure General Landry will find him something", Weir replied, folding her arms as Sheppard paced her office.
"We have to keep his position open here", he said and as Weir looked about to object he added, "At least until Edwards is back to work. We have to give Lorne the option to return here".
Eventually Weir nodded.
"Okay. But only until Edwards is back, then I need a decision from the Major".
Sheppard nodded and sighed in relief.
End of Chapter 5