Steph7085 – Good to know you enjoyed the second chapter and I hope you enjoy this one too, thanks for the review.

Sparklyshimmer2010 – Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked the second chapter. I'm keeping the story as close to cannon as possible for the beginning but the further it goes the more it'll change. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Fyd818 – Sorry to hear about your three hundred page fic, I would have cried, I'll remember not to procrastinate in the future now lol. I'm glad you liked the changes to the dinner scene; I needed it to happen a little earlier in the story. I feel bad for Elizabeth though, I've stranded her out there all by herself lol. I'm wanting to look into how Atlantis has changed everybody in this fic, especially Ronon and Teyla and I think showing Teyla struggling to live the life she used to is a good way to do that. Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Aoife – Wow, thanks for your review, I'm flattered that more story is swaying you to John/Liz. I'm trying to keep the story cannon for the beginning but it'll change more and more with time. If you want more information on Atlantis a good place to look would be I hope you enjoy this chapter.

- - -

Chapter 3

Elizabeth had learnt early on that many of the Ancients did not trust her. What she had done to gain this mistrust, she didn't know but it was making her stay in Atlantis all the more uncomfortable. This wasn't how she'd thought it would be, she'd thought this would be an amazing opportunity to learn from these people and to try and form some kind of relationship between them and earth. That it seemed wasn't going to happen, the more she tried the denser the brick wall she kept running into seemed to get.

She missed her expedition team, Atlantis felt somehow wrong without them. She missed Carson always trying to make her sleep more and Rodney and Zelenka always bickering about something. She missed Teyla's quiet council and even Ronon's brooding presence. She had to admit, to herself at least, that she missed John most of all. He'd become her closest friend over the last few years, she missed the subtle ways he cared, like making sure she had lunch. That was why she found herself wondering through the control room in the middle of the night to the balcony she and John had always used.

It had become their balcony; hers and John's, no one else ever used it as though it had become some unspoken rule among her people. The Ancients had no problem using it though and she found that it actually bothered her. This had been her refuge and it had been taken away from her along with everything else.

The ocean breeze felt cool against her warm skin and she welcomed the familiarity of it. Like her room, it was one of the only things that still felt like home; so long as she was alone here she could feel more at ease. She half expected John to walk out of the door behind her at any second, coming to make sure that she was alright, but he wasn't coming this time.

She questioned her decision to stay here, she was struggling to let go of the way things used to be. Perhaps it would have been better if someone else had done this job, someone who hadn't lived in Atlantis and gotten used to the way life was here. Then she wondered how she would have reacted to being sent back to earth along with everyone else. She didn't think that would have gone down any better than this.

It was a good twenty minutes before anyone interrupted her silence. The door behind her opened and she turned to see one of the Ancients, a slightly older looking man, his brown hair was greying slightly but he still held that aura that seemed to follow the Ancients around. "My apologies Dr Weir, I didn't realise anyone was out here."

"That's fine Taros, I was just about to go back inside anyway," she told him and he moved to stand beside her.

"How are you finding the changes to Atlantis?" he questioned almost as if he had been reading her thoughts.

"It's a lot to adjust to but I'm doing fine," she replied, it was almost true.

"It must be strange, being the only human in a city full of ancients," he stated and Elizabeth turned to look at him. Besides the talks this was probably the longest conversation she'd had with anyone in the last two weeks.

"I'll admit it's difficult but I've dealt with worse," she informed him and he nodded his head slowly.

"I have read many of the reports from your people; you had to endure a great amount to protect this city. We are in your debt," he said calmly and Elizabeth felt her annoyance get the better of her for a brief moment.

"Yet, no one trusts me," she responded bitterly.

"The others..." Taros began but then trailed off and sighed "You have to understand Dr Weir, the last we knew the human race was merely..."

"A hunter-gatherer species, yeah I got that," she cut him off "We've come a long way in the few thousand years since then."

There was silence between them for several moments before Taros spoke again. "You are not as alone as you believe you are Dr Weir," he stated before he walked back inside to leave Elizabeth with her thoughts.

- - -

Over two weeks and the team still felt like a bunch of strangers, he could see the start of the relationships building up between the other three members of his team but to John, they were still strangers. He knew he was holding onto his old team, he'd had the best team he could have asked for. Ronon and Teyla had been exceptional and even Rodney had been a valuable member.

He knew these new guys were good, they wouldn't have made it into the SGC if they weren't better than most but they would never be SGA-1. He missed Ronon and Teyla, though he'd never say that out loud. He missed their sparring sessions even if he had always come out of them injured. Carson was still his doctor; the two of them would get together for lunch whenever they were both free. He spoke to Rodney regularly and he even saw Lieutenant Cadman and Major Lorne wondering around on occasion.

Ronon and Teyla's presence was very obviously missing and so was Elizabeth's. He knew when he left Atlantis that it would be hard to let go and adjust to life here, he hadn't thought it would be impossible. Who had he been kidding though, Atlantis had been... well Atlantis. It had allowed him to find a part of himself he'd lost when he'd been assigned to Antarctica. It had brought out the leader in him and allowed him to feel like he belonged, like part of a real family, possibly for the first time since he had been a kid. To lose the place that had done all that for him was bound to be like cutting off a limb.

They were on yet another routine mission, exploring a new planet and meeting the less advanced people that occupied it. In true John Sheppard style, the routine mission turned into a run for the gate and his was relieved when his team stumbled through the stargate into the SGC gate room. The iris was closed behind them blocking the arrows he was sure would still be following them.

"Colonel," Landry greeted as John followed his team down the ramp "What happened?"

"Well sir, the people of P5C 871 have it seems fully embraced Origin and refuse to even have non believers on their planet let alone listen to our blasphemous lies," John informed him still slightly out of breath from his mad dash to the gate.

"Alright Colonel, debrief in an hour," Landry stated exasperatedly and John muttered a quick 'yes sir' before leaving for his post mission physical. His story was becoming one heard far more frequently at the SGC; the Ori seemed to be gaining ground.

He wasn't entirely sure which was worse, Ori or Wraith. The Ori had this religious campaign and seemingly otherworldly powers but the Wraith sucked the life out of people. Weighing both sides up, he couldn't really say which one he'd rather be facing. Though if he had a say he'd probably pick the Wraith, simply for the fact that it would mean he was back in Atlantis.

He arrived in the infirmary to see Carson talking to Laura and when the two looked at him and parted ways he gave them a suspicious stare. Laura gave him a look as she walked past, daring him to make comment while she was still present, he chose to keep his mouth shut until she was gone and way out of earshot. He hopped up onto the infirmary bed where Carson walked up to him and started doing the usual work up, making notes as he went.

"I thought that didn't work out," John stated trying to keep the smile of amusement of his face at the slight blush creeping up Carson's neck.

"I may have called her a couple of weeks ago," Carson replied and John had to chuckle.

"You mean the night I told you to," John said smugly.

"No," Carson answered quickly as he shone the pen light in John's eyes rather abruptly making John wince and pull back. Carson however seemed to show no remorse as he did it again. "It was the day after."

"Of course it was, does Rodney know?" He asked knowing this would be another chance for him to make Rodney squirm at the unwanted memory.

"Not yet, there's nothing to tell. We had dinner last week and we're having dinner again this week, no need to torture the lad over it again," John couldn't help but smile at the doctor's obvious embarrassment at being caught.

The physical finally done Carson allowed John to leave "Grab lunch in the cafeteria later?" John questioned as he jumped down from the bed.

"Sure, if I have time," Carson replied distractedly as John headed toward the exit. He turned back at the last minute determined to get in a parting shot.

"Hey, you could bring Cadman with you," John stated and he only saw a glimpse of Carson's reaction before he made a beeline out of the room.

- - -

Ronon walked through the Athosian settlement which was up and running, it would be a while before it was a hundred percent but it was getting there. The Athosians had been good to him, they'd taken him in without question and he'd been more than willing to help them out. Rebuilding their home had kept him busy, given him something to do but now that the task was done he was getting restless.

His years as a runner had changed him, even before he had never been the type to sit still and do nothing. Now he had trouble just staying in one place for too long. Atlantis had been different, at first he'd felt the need to get out. When Sheppard had first asked him to stay and join his team Ronon had been unsure if he'd be able to stick around long enough. He'd made the decision to stay simply because he knew the people of earth were the best hope of defeating the Wraith and he wanted more than anything to be a part of that. Two years had kind of turned the once confining walls into home though, he'd felt a little more settled and less suffocated.

As grateful as he was to the Athosians, this wasn't Atlantis and this wasn't the type of life he was even capable of living. He needed to get back out there and fight, the war was continuing without him and the thought made him all the more restless. He knew there was only one reason he was staying here and he wasn't going to voice it, not even in his own head.

"Ronon," he heard someone call and turned to see Halling heading in his direction. "Have you seen Teyla?" he questioned.

"Not this morning," Ronon replied and Halling nodded his head quickly.

"I would like to thank you for your help in rebuilding the settlement," Halling said and Ronon felt himself go into shut down mode, he didn't do thanks very well.

"No problem, have you checked down by the river, she usually goes down there," Ronon stated changing the subject.

"She perhaps spends too much time down there, thinking," Halling replied thoughtfully. "She misses the people of earth and she worries, not just for her people but other things as well."

Ronon had no problem picking up the hidden meaning behind Halling's words though he hadn't needed it to tell him what Teyla was worrying about. She knew as well as he did that this was not a life Ronon could live. It hung between them, an unspoken truth that sooner or later was going to come out.

Halling left Ronon to his thought and went in the direction of the river, probably in search of Teyla. What was it the people of earth always said when situations became too much for them to handle?

"I need a drink."

TBC