Being a housemaid was very different to being a negotiator - obviously. She was barely able to do her own household, it was Julie who did the greater part of it and now she had to do all the things she never did: serving breakfast, dusting thousands of shelves and making beds. The beds were the worst part. How could Mr. Robbins actually employ her? She couldn't make beds. She could talk people into signing contracts of every kind, she could still bargain for her life with a gun held to her head, but beds?

It was kind of funny which problems she had to face in this job. She had never expected it to be so...difficult. And exhausting. It was a full-time job, at least one thing that hadn't changed.

Kelly and Richard Sheppard were nice but distant people. They weren't condescending towards the staff, but yet there was a certain coldness whenever they were around. It was strictly them and the staff. John Sheppard on the other hand was different compared to his parents. Mia had been right; Elizabeth had noticed it on her first day.

One hour after she had met him in the dining room, he had come into the kitchen, carrying the used dishes and the basket with the rest of the bread. She had stared at him in surprise at first and then she had helped him to clear the table in the dining room completely.

"It's the same every morning" Mia had said when he had disappeared again, not before thanking Elizabeth for helping him. "He even makes his bed, too. I haven't set foot into his room since I work here" she added and Elizabeth had stared at the closed door behind which John Sheppard had disappeared.

He had caught her interest on that first day and, to Elizabeth's annoyance, it had grown steadily over the past three weeks. She had only seen glimpses of him the past few weeks, but yet every time it had made her crave for more. It was just ridiculous. He was a military man, he represented everything she hated and his hair was pure impertinence, but yet his presence always sent tingles all over her body.

She was glad that she didn't see him that much, because when these short glimpses of him could already make her nervous, she didn't want to know what could happen, if she saw him all the time. She couldn't put her finger on it, but this man just...touched her. She couldn't find another word for it.

It was already dark outside when Elizabeth called it a night and said goodnight to Mia and Josh. Josh wasn't a chatty fellow and Elizabeth had decided not to force him into any conversations. He loved his cooking and from what Elizabeth had already tasted, she agreed that he should stick to it.

Elizabeth welcomed the fresh air when she stepped outside. There was a small path to her left that led into the faintly illuminated backyard. Well, you probably couldn't call it backyard anymore. It seemed more like a small park to Elizabeth. She sighed and turned to her right, in the direction of her car.

She was almost there when she saw a figure running along the long gateway towards her. She walked the last few steps to her car and put her bag in the trunk. She was about to get into the driver's seat when she heard her name. She turned around again and recognized John Sheppard jogging in her direction. Her heart involuntarily gave a little jump. He came to a halt in front of her.

"I...I..." he panted and bent forward, his hands resting on his thighs. Elizabeth had to smile at the picture. It took a few moments before he had caught his breath again. He straightened his back and looked at her. "I'm not made for sprinting" he said and wiped away the sweat on his forehead with the sweatband on his right wrist.

"Why did you sprint in the first place?" Elizabeth asked.

"I saw you leaving the house. Wanted to catch up with you" he said. Elizabeth straightened her back.

"If there's something wrong..." she began, but he cut her off.

"God, no. Everything's fine. I just wanted...walk with me?" he asked and pointed to the back of the house.

"I was on my way home" she said, wondering why the hell he wanted to take a walk with her. There was disappointment written in his face for the blink of an eye before he nodded slowly.

"I see. Of course. I don't want to hold you up" he said.

"No, you don't hold me up, it's just..." she glanced at her watch. Julie was probably already waiting with dinner for her. "There's someone waiting for me" she finished. "Five minutes" she then said when he was about to open his mouth. His lost words turned into a grin.

"Five minutes" he repeated and they walked together in the direction of the small path that led into the backyard/park. They walked in silence for a few moments before Elizabeth broke it.

"I get money for my work, you know?" she said and looked at him.

"What?"

"You don't have to help me clearing the table" she explained. He still thanked her every morning for helping him. He laughed.

"I know, but I want to" he simply said and Elizabeth looked ahead again. "So, who's waiting for you tonight?" he asked.

"A friend"

"A friend?"

"My roommate"

"Your roommate?"

"Do you always have to repeat what other people say?" she asked and raised an eyebrow at him. He laughed.

"Wow, that eyebrow is intimidating. No, I'm capable of forming my own sentences" he joked.

"Are you sure about that?" Elizabeth asked and immediately bit her lip. He was her boss for god's sake. She couldn't talk to him like that. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Don't worry, it's ok. Don't talk to me like I were your boss. I'm not" Elizabeth gave him a questioning look. "You don't work for me" he said.

"Well, since you haven't noticed it, I do work for you"

"I don't want you to work for me. You may work for my parents, but not for me. And just to make things clear, I'm John and not Mr. Sheppard, just in case you intend to address me with my last name" Now that Elizabeth thought about it, she hadn't addressed him a single time since she worked there. Well, she had barely seen him all those weeks.

"But..."

"No 'buts'. I prefer to go by John. It's already bad enough that Nicholas and Mia refuse to use my first name. There was a reason why my parents gave me a first name" he grinned. They were coming to a halt in front of a bench and John sat down. It was at the side of the house, hidden behind a group of trees. Elizabeth sat down next to him. She could see a part of the house where a few windows were illuminated.

"This place is beautiful" she said and her gaze wandered around. She couldn't see much in the darkness, but she could feel a certain charm radiating from her surroundings.

"It's my favourite spot next to the sky" John said and Elizabeth looked at him. He was watching the stars above. "What did you do before you came here?" he asked and turned his head in her direction. Elizabeth looked away and fixed her gaze on the ground.

"I was...I am...I'm..." she struggled for words. Images of Namibia flooded her head and she could suddenly feel the cold iron of a gun against her temple.

"Hey, you ok?" John asked and Elizabeth looked at him. There was concern and worry in his eyes. She wasn't ok. She had taken this job to take a break from the UN and it had worked for three weeks until now. Her mind had been too busy to think about what had happened in Namibia. Why did he have to ask her that damn question?

She had never really talked about what really had happened in those two months she had been held captive. She had told Julie a few bits and pieces, but that was it.

"Elizabeth?" John asked and she snapped out of her thoughts. She focused on his face. Now the worry was written all over it.

"It's late. I should go now" she said and stood up. He did the same.

"Ok. I'll walk you" he offered, but she refused.

"No, it's ok. I'm fine" she said and took a few steps away from him. He was confused, she could tell by his expression, but he chose to let her go.

"Ok. Goodnight, Elizabeth"

"Goodnight"