Saphire – I'm glad you liked the Sparky scene and Rodney throwing all John's feelings out into the open. As for Taros, his fate is already sealed, I'm afraid (gives lots of Sparky goodies). Thanks for the review.

Sparkly – Rodney's scene was fun to write and I loved writing the balcony scene so I'm glad you liked them. (Runs and hides) Angst makes good storytelling! Thanks for the review.

Kuroima – Patience is a virtue lol but I'm glad you enjoyed the balcony scene as well as Carson and Laura's scene. Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Steph – Taros' fate is already sealed I'm afraid. I'm glad you liked the sparky moment and I hope you enjoy this chapter too, thanks for the review.

Jammeke – Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked the Sparky scene and Rodney's bit, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Hanna – Karine – I'm glad you enjoyed the sparky scene in the last chapter and I hope you enjoy this chapter too, thanks for the review.

Lemons – Do you mind if I just call you lemons cos that's rather a long name lol. I can't believe you read this fic all at once lol, here's the next chapter to make up for the evil cliffy you got left with after all that reading. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for the review.

Lia-finn – Thanks for the review, I figured I always find everything when I stop looking for it so I thought I'd put that in, glad you liked it. Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 22

"He's dying," Carson told them and John watched as Elizabeth took a deep breath and reigned in whatever emotions his words had brought up. Malar's face remained as neutral as it always did but John was sure his eyes had betrayed him for a second.

"Is there anything you can do?" Sam asked and Carson shook his head.

"I'm afraid not," the doctor told them solemnly. "From the look of his results I'd say he's been sick for a while. His body seems to be shutting down, the most I can do is keep him comfortable."

"Can we see him?" Elizabeth questioned and Carson smiled sadly and nodded.

"Aye, go ahead," he said gesturing over to the bed "Just don't expect too much."

Elizabeth and Malar walked over to the older man, both of them sitting down by his bed and John moved to stand nearby. He could hear Sam and Carson still talking for a few moments before Sam left the infirmary.

"Hey," Elizabeth greeted Taros who smiled tiredly at her.

"Elizabeth, you did not have to come and see me, I'm sure it's very late," he told her and John felt a pang of sympathy for him. Despite his dislike for the Ancients he couldn't help but like Taros, the older man seemed to have none of the arrogance the rest of his people shared.

"Don't be silly, of course I had to come," Elizabeth told him.

"And Malar, how nice of you to join her," there was a slightly teasing tone in the man's quiet voice which Malar didn't seem to appreciate but since the elderly Ancient was on his death bed the younger man kept his opinions to himself.

"Is there anything we can get you?" Malar chose to ask instead.

"No I have everything I need here, these people have some wonderful... what do you call them? ... Painkillers," Taros replied and Elizabeth smiled and took his hand.

"Are you sure you don't need anything?" she asked him and Taros nodded his head slowly.

"I am quite sure."

"There must be something we can do for you," Elizabeth stated, shaking her head.

"There is not," Taros told her, he seemed completely calm. "My time has come; I am very old Elizabeth and very tired."

"I knew there was something wrong," Elizabeth said quietly, annoyance at herself in her voice and Taros smiled again.

"I know you did, you could not have done anything differently, there was nothing that could be done," he told her firmly and then leaned his head back into the pillow with a heavy sigh. "I think perhaps I will sleep now, you should go and do the same."

"I'll come back in the morning," Elizabeth told Taros, leaning down and dropping a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Ah, I knew you liked me," he said humorously and Elizabeth laughed softly.

"How could I not," she teased as she squeezed his hand and left, Malar followed her out and John was about to leave as well when Taros called him back.

"Colonel Sheppard, please, come and sit for a moment," he requested and John did so, taking the seat Elizabeth had been sitting in a moment ago.

"I'm afraid I do not have much time left," Taros stated and John sat quietly, unsure what to say or even why Taros wanted to speak to him. "Elizabeth missed this city and her people very much but... she missed you most of all."

Still unsure what he was supposed to say to that, John opted to keep quiet. "It is very obvious that she cares for you deeply, more than she wants to I think. I do not know you but in these last few days I have seen you with her and I believe that you too care very deeply for her. You have both been given a second chance, do not waste it, you may not get another."

And still, he had no idea what to say so once again he said nothing. "Good night Colonel Sheppard."

John took that as his dismissal and left the infirmary, his thoughts running through his head so fast he could barely grab onto one. The old man was right about one thing, he did care for Elizabeth, the last few months had made that abundantly clear to him. He just wasn't sure what to do about it.

Her quiet breathing was the only sound in the otherwise silent room, her eyes were closed and her body completely relaxed. She had not meditated in a long time, too long, her focus had been all over the place and she had not been able to quiet her mind for more than a few seconds. With Elizabeth now safely back on Atlantis, her neck injury healing and her confusion over her relationship with Ronon a thing of the past, her mind was clear enough that she could focus.

She breathed in and out rhythmically and she could feel the affect it was having on her mind and body already. She felt more relaxed than she had in months; the stress of everything that had happened left her a little bit at a time with each breath.

She heard the doors open and ignored the intrusion into her silence however she could no longer ignore the new comer when he knelt down beside, silently staring at her. She opened her eyes, turning her head to the side to meet Ronon's amused gaze. "Hey," he said and she smiled and shook her head.

"You are distracting me," she told him.

"I know," he replied and she laughed softly, closing her eyes and resuming her previous position. Ronon however didn't move and she let out an exasperated sigh and turned to look at him again.

"Is there a reason you came to see me?" she asked.

"Do I need one?" he questioned back.

"I suppose not," she replied and he sat down on the floor beside her, crossing her legs and mimicking her position.

"Alright, how do I do this thing?" he asked and Teyla looked at him incredulously.

"You want to meditate?" she questioned and he shrugged. "I do not believe you have the patience."

"Never could sit still for very long," he agreed and Teyla gave up on any notion of being able to meditate.

"Perhaps we should just go and get something to eat," she suggested and Ronon shrugged again, standing up and offering her his hand.

Jack found Sam in her office, sitting behind the desk with a report in her hands. Her eyes scanning the page quickly and he figured she was only skimming through it. "Anything interesting?" he questioned as he entered the office and sat down. A weird thought entered his mind and he 

wondered how many times John and Elizabeth had been in these exact positions. He knew how close the two of them were and the Atlantis rumour mill was always a great source of information.

"Just Major Lorne's report from the mission his team returned from two days ago," she told him and put the paperwork on the desk.

"I thought you might wanna know, the IOA are sending a representative through at the end of the week," he informed her and watched her sigh and lean back in her chair.

"Is that really necessary?" she questioned.

"They said they want to make sure everything is still running smoothly here and see how Elizabeth's coping," he explained and she shook her head.

"Translation, they want to see if they can get Elizabeth transferred back to earth and have someone they have more control over in charge of the city," Sam said bitterly.

"Hope you weren't talking about yourself there Carter, since when does anyone have control over you?" he questioned.

"I'm military, I follow orders," she replied.

"Not when you don't agree with them, I remember SG1 having a problem with not always doing as they were told. In fact I remember a couple of times we got ourselves dangerously close to being court martialled," he said with a thoughtful look on his face as he thought back to all the times he and his team had done the exact opposite of what they were told to do.

"Do you think they'll let Elizabeth have the city back?" Sam questioned, breaking into his reminiscing.

"I don't know, the truth is they've wanted one of their own in control of Atlantis for a while now, this may be just the excuse they need," Jack replied and Sam sighed again.

"This isn't right, she's been through enough, they all have," Sam said tiredly and Jack got the feeling this whole thing had been weighing heavily on her for a while. He'd known this wouldn't be an easy job when he'd asked her to do it but she'd handled it well.

"You've done a good job here, better than anyone could have expected," he told her feeling that she deserved to know.

"Thank you."

Why did it seem like every time she was starting to feel settled something came along to turn her life upside down again. She'd finally been feeling at home again, finally starting to feel as though she could allow herself to settle back into life on Atlantis and now this. Taros had been her only constant over the last few months, he'd kept her grounded and she wasn't entirely sure she and her sanity would have survived everything that had happened if he hadn't been there.

Now she was finally at home, finally back with her people and the elderly Ancient was dying. He seemed so calm about it; he'd just accepted that this was his fate just as he had when they'd been driven from Atlantis. She wished she could do that, she wished she could so easily accept change but she couldn't and this change was too much to handle. Her entire life had become a rollercoaster, one that she wanted to get off.

The door chime called to her through her thoughts and she walked over, opening the doors to reveal John. "Hey," he greeted and she did her best to give him a small smile as she stepped back and allowed him into the room. "How are you?"

"I've been better," she replied honestly, not having the energy to make up a lie neither of them would have believed anyway.

"How's Taros?"

"Eerily calm and still trying to give me advice," she told him, smiling fondly at the thought of the old man who even on his death bed had been dispensing advice to all who would listen. The man had a knack for knowing things about people that they weren't even aware they showed. "Carson says he only has a few days left. I've only known him for five months but already the thought of not having him around seems... unimaginable."

She could hear the sadness creeping into her tone, her voice was thick with emotions she'd had every intention of holding back but she was losing the energy to even try. "I have to admit, the guy makes an impression," John replied sadly.

"He's been a rock, he doesn't deserve this," Elizabeth stated, her emotions were completely out in the open and though part of her wanted to gather them all up and hide them again, the bigger part of her didn't have it in her to care. This was John after all and if she couldn't trust him with moments like this, then really who could she trust.

She wasn't even sure who was surprised more by John's next move though she was fairly sure it was him. He stepped toward her, pulling her to him and wrapping his arms around her. She responded almost immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on as though he was a life raft. It felt like her whole world was spinning out of control and she something to hold onto, this time it was her who surprised them, pulling back from the embrace just far enough to crash her lips against his.

His surprise only lasted a second, he kissed her back and there was desperation in the kiss that increased her own. His hands moved down her back, finding the hem of her shirt and lifting it enough that he could run his hands over her skin. The contact made her crave more, her own hands found his shirt, undoing the buttons as he broke the kiss, moving his lips along her jaw.

The black material of his shirt soon found the floor along with her own top and John moved his lips back to hers. He manoeuvred them toward the bed, laying them both down without breaking contact. There was a voice in her head telling her this was wrong, that she should end it now but the bigger part of her knew they were already way beyond the point of no return. As if sensing her thoughts John broke the kiss, staring down at her with a questioning gaze.

"Lizabeth?" he questioned, she knew what he was asking, he needed to be sure this was what she wanted and though she could still hear the voice in the back of her head she chose to ignore it. Unable to find the words to reassure him she pulled his lips back against hers in answer to his question. In truth, she didn't want to end it and as their pants joined the clothes already on the floor the nagging voice was silenced.

TBC