Okay so I lied. I thought this would be a one shot a year ago and started getting people asking for more interpretations with this AU...so I started writing more. Hope you guys enjoy.

Title: The Delegate and the Airman: Rising II

Rating: PG

The breeze blew through Elizabeth's hair as she walked onto the balcony with Major John Sheppard. It had been forever since she'd stood on the balcony. There weren't any at her post in Antartica.

She remembered when she'd fallen in love with the view from a balcony. She had been at Bethesda and in a wheelchair with her knee elevated to prevent further injury. She had been waiting for Simon to come visit her and passed the time by sitting on the balcony and thinking about the mysteries of life.

She admitted the view of the city was more beautiful than the view of a hospital courtyard. She looked over the edge and gazed at the water that half-submerged the city. She took a moment to take it all in before The Major's voice registered in her ears.

"Let me guess. You're not gonna let me rescue my people," said John.

"Major, you don't even know if they're alive," stated Elizabeth.

"You don't leave people in the hands of the enemy. And the fact that we are having this conversation in private lets me know that you know damn well that it's wrong, and it will totally undermine your leadership. So as ranking military officer I ..."

His passion was astounding. "Alright, just shut up and listen to me for a moment, alright? Come on, what do we know about the Wraith? One of the few things we do know is that they are the enemy that defeated the Ancients. When we first began to use the Stargate we found on Earth, we got ourselves into serious trouble – why?"

"I don't need a history lesson ..." he said.

"Because the people in charge didn't consider the ramifications before they reacted." reported Weir.

"They took our people – how am I supposed to react?" John said. Her naiveté was astounding. He was pretty sure the people in charge had taken part in a very similar conversation before they decided to send a team to rescue her. Didn't she know that the uncertainty of her condition had worried him to death.

"And we're defenceless – you said so yourself. How do you know going off on some half-assed rescue mission isn't gonna to bring them all right back here to our doorstep?" she argues.

"Maybe it will. But it's the right thing to do. Why? Because it is!" He admitted to himself that she had a valid argument but he still didn't feel that same way.

"John ..."

"If we're not gonna do this – and I mean right now – let's just turn tail and pack up, because they're coming."

"You don't know that."

"Our people are in the hands of the enemy, Doctor. Like you were once. You know what that feels like. Do you know what that means? It is just a matter of time before the Wraith figure out that this is the base of our operations."

"I just need more information. I mean, who knows, maybe we could negotiate a peaceful ..."

"Peaceful? Are you kidding?! We weren't there for more than a few hours before they showed up."

"Is it possible they came because of you, and that one of these people you brought back here with you tipped them off?"

"It's possible." Sheppard admitted to her.

"See, that is exactly the kind of snap decision I'm referring to!"

"They're not all bad people, and, you know, if we're gonna stick around here, we need friends."

"OK. I see your point. Now you see mine: I will not authorise a rescue mission unless I am sure there is at least a remote chance of success. I'm not sending more good people, including you, to their deaths," she said. "I know that you think I'm being unreasonable, that because I was taken hostage, I should feel sympathetic. But we aren't in the same situation. They had videotapes, proof of where I was. We don't have that luxury."

"OK."

Sheppard had to admit. It was a hard rescue mission. But he had a couple people. Granted not the most important person that had been taken, but still. Lives were saved. That was something.

"I guess this is home now." Ford said as he and John looked over the balcony of Atlantis

"I guess so," Sheppard seconded as he leaned on the railing. The view of the city was beautiful. It wasn't the worse place to be stranded.

"I'm thinking of a little place with an ocean view. Out of the way," Ford said.

The conversation desisted when Elizabeth came up behind them. John took a moment to admire her suit. It was boxy and covered every inch of skin except her face and hands, but she still looked beautiful. The shirt underneath gave a little glint of her cleavage. But then he saw her necklace. A heart and his thoughts of how beautiful she looked vanished. She was with Simon, he couldn't forget that. As long as she was with Simon she wouldn't be his.

"Major. Lieutenant," she handed them a each a glass to take. "I thought the occasion merited opening this. Compliments of General O'Neill."

"Cheers," he takes a sip and watches as she takes her cup in both hands and takes a drink.

Elizabeth recognized the look on his face, "You did good, John."

"I don't know about that."

"Hey, there was no way you could have saved Colonel Sumner," said Elizabeth.

"I have to live with it." Elizabeth nodded understandingly. If roles had been reversed and she had to rescue him and failed, she wouldn't have wanted someone telling her that she couldn't have done anything. She mentally kicked herself for making such a stupid comment. "I'm beginning to think you were right – I have made things much worse. I haven't made us many more friends out there."

"No? Look around you," she turns around and they observe the Athosians milling about.

Elizabeth watches as Teyla moves toward John and whispers some words of comfort before touching his forehead in the traditional Athosian way. She made a mental not to keep an eye on her and then left them alone. While freshening up her drink she heard Carson and Rodney at the buffet table

"How come I never make friends like that?" Carson asked.

"You need to get out more," Rodney said.

"We're in another galaxy – how much more out can you get?!" Carson questioned in exasperation.

Elizabeth let herself laugh at the exchange before she turned back to the balcony. Teyla and Ford were leaving and it looked like John would follow them. She moved closer and stopped him.

"One more thing, Major – something I'd like you to sleep on. I have a few thoughts on it myself but ..." she began.

"Thoughts about what?" Sheppard asked.

Nice one Elizabeth. Forget to tell him what the conversation was about. "Who the members of your team might be."

"My team?"

'Well, you are the ranking military officer now, or do you need to be reminded of that? We need to get back out there; do what we came to do. "

Elizabeth turned to lean on the railing of the balcony. She looked so serene about all that had happened that he wondered what kind of leader she would make. He was sure that she had the required skills to lead but she seemed very hippy and peace-loving.

"You do realise I can get us in to all sorts of trouble, right?"
-END-