Author's Note: Here it is, the final chapter. I know Six Flags near San Francisco isn't open this time of year, but I took some literary license with that. :) The ring, "Glorious," was designed by Orange Blossom Certified Fine Jewelry. I found a pic of the wedding set on sears (dot) com, under Bridal Sets. As always, enjoy! ~lg

oOo

Two more days passed, and Valentine's Day arrived. Evan had called his brother-in-law and arranged for a surprise date for his sister. Erica needed to get out of the hospital, but she also needed to see her family. While it wasn't the most romantic notion, Evan had set the four up at a nice hotel and provided them with a day trip to Six Flags. While she didn't want to leave their mother, Erica hugged him tightly on her way out the door. He could already see the effect her family had on her, and he knew he'd made the right decision.

Sitting next to his mother, Evan drew a montage of Jennifer. He had so many memories of her, and he wanted to keep them fresh until he returned to Atlantis. The ring had arrived last night, and he now carried it in his pocket. It was more beautiful in reality than it had been on the screen. Just like Jennifer. Evan sat back and blinked as he realized he'd added an incredibly detailed version of the ring to the left hand of his drawing of Jennifer.

Rather than staring at the drawing, he pulled the wedding set from his pocket and stared at it. The engagement ring had one large round diamond that sat above the others, while the narrow band had eight diamonds set into it. Two gold hearts sandwiched the central diamond as they also held a tiny diamond in them. The wedding band had another heart in the center that lined up with the large diamond, and eight small round diamonds sat in the band. The designer called it "Glorious." Evan called it "Perfect."

If all had gone well, he would have been dropping to one knee today. That realization brought a bitter taste to his mouth. Coughlin should be delivering his final message for the day. When he'd discovered that he'd have to break his plans with Jennifer, he arranged for Coughlin to be his messenger. He'd originally planned to deliver one candy heart a day to Jennifer with appropriate messages, leading her to the right place for his surprise trip off world. She knew they were going for a Jumper ride and a picnic. She just didn't know where. He'd arranged for an entire twenty-four hours alone on a tropical island paradise inhabited by nothing but peaceful animals. He knew. He'd spent enough time marooned on that island several years ago. He appreciated its loneliness. Still, being lonely with Jennifer around. . . .

Pulling his mind from that image, Evan stood and walked into the bathroom. He splashed his face with the coldest water available and stared into the mirror. He looked haggard. Glancing at his mother, he made a decision. He needed sleep. Without Erica to worry about, he should be able to rest peacefully. His mother had made significant progress in her recovery since her removal from life support, and Evan wasn't sure exactly who to thank. He left his number with the nurse's station and headed for the hotel. A quick meal at a drive through made sure hunger didn't wake him. He dropped into bed, whispering a prayer of thanks for his mother's slow recovery and a plea for Jennifer's protection.

oOo

Jennifer stood in front of Colonel Sheppard's office, wiping her hands on her uniform pants as she steeled herself for this conversation. She didn't want to push her luck, but she needed to do this. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside. "Colonel, can I speak with you for a moment?"

Sheppard sat back, his desk covered with the paperwork Evan typically did. "Sure, Doc." He rushed to his feet to remove a stack of files that filled the second chair in the room. "What's on your mind?"

"I want to go to Earth with today's weekly status report." She said it all in a rush before she lost her nerve.

Sheppard blinked at her. After a moment, he recovered from his shock. "Is this about Major Lorne?"

"Yes." Jennifer dropped into the chair, her face heating as she realized she'd have to be blunt with Sheppard if she hoped to get her wish. "We've been seeing each other for over a year."

"I know."

"And we're talking about marriage." She stretched that one just a bit, but Sheppard needed to know how serious things really were.

He seemed totally flummoxed by that statement. "I didn't know things were. . .wow. He didn't say a word."

"He wouldn't."

"So, why come to me now?"

"Because he's not here, it's Valentine's Day, and I know what a stress it is to have someone you love on life support." Jennifer met Sheppard's eyes. "Besides, as CMO of this base, it's my duty to inform you of when someone is not performing due to elevated stress levels. I'll be honest, Colonel, my mind is scattered right now. I should be able to focus, but I can't. I might never have a chance to meet the woman who I hope is my future mother-in-law, and I don't want that regret in my life. I know it's not normal to send girlfriends and maybe-fiances back with the soldier in this type of situation, but I'm hoping you'll allow it."

He stared at her for so long she lost a little of her confidence. Finally, he lifted his chin once. "You only have an hour to pack."

"Really?" Jennifer bounced out of her chair. "You're letting me go?"

"You're really engaged?"

Her heart fell. "No." She let out a quick breath. "Remember when he was captured three weeks ago? When he escaped, but we thought he was dead because we couldn't find him? We talked about marriage then. He didn't ask, but if he had, my answer would have been 'yes.'"

"Yeah, you were pretty broken up about the whole thing." His words downplayed just how badly she'd reacted. It wasn't a medical rescue situation. Sheppard had showed up in her office, telling her that Evan was missing and they found a lot of his blood at the scene of his disappearance. She'd fallen apart at the very thought of the man she loved lying in an unmarked grave. That experience alone told her she didn't want to ever receive a folded flag.

Just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes. "I can't let Evan lose someone he loves, not alone. Not if I can do anything about it."

Sheppard nodded. "I'll make the arrangements with Landry."

"Thank you." Jennifer rushed out of the office and toward her quarters, glad she'd already made arrangements for her absence. Even if they stayed on Earth for a few weeks, she'd give up her summer leave to be with Evan during this time. Any solid relationship survived the bad times as well as the good, and she wanted to explain all the medical jargon Evan would likely encounter in this situation.

In her quarters, Jennifer threw some clothes into a suitcase and added a few essentials. Her hand hesitated over the three little hearts on her nightstand. A white one had appeared today, this on saying "Luv U." That final message made her decision. She would get to Evan's side, one way or the other.

With a final decision, she swept up Evan's messages and added them to her suitcase. She wheeled it out of her quarters behind her and arrived in the gateroom just as the wormhole to Earth established. In the Control Room, Sheppard spoke through the radio link, explaining that Dr. Keller had requested an emergency leave on Earth. Whatever he told Landry apparently made an impact because Landry allowed her through the gate.

The trip to Earth took too long for her liking even though she knew only a few seconds had passed. General Landry, still looking a little confused, met her while she walked down the ramp. "Dr. Keller. Welcome back to Earth."

"Thank you."

He eyed her. "I have a plane waiting for you out of Peterson. You'll be in San Francisco by this evening."

Jennifer's eyes narrowed. "What did Colonel Sheppard tell you, Sir?"

"That you had a family situation in San Francisco." Landry lifted his bushy eyebrows. "It wasn't too hard to put two and two together. I'm not in the habit of allowing such unorthodox requests, but today is Valentine's. And I'm feeling generous."

Jennifer smiled at that and resisted the urge to hug the man. "Thank you."

"Go on." Landry motioned for her to hurry. "And give Major Lorne my regards."

Jennifer flushed, but she hurried through her required physical and out the front door. On the way to the plane, she had her driver stop at the base BX. She hunted until she found exactly what she wanted and boarded the plane with the small box in her hand. She stared out the plane window during the flight, going over exactly what she'd say. She needed this phase of her life decided, and she'd determined that she would take the initiative.

Finally, the plane landed in San Francisco, and Jennifer rushed through airport security as quickly as possible. The butterflies in her stomach started their flight as she hailed a cab and gave the the hospital address that Landry provided. While she rode, she dumped the small box she'd bought in Colorado into her lap, sorting the small candies until she found the perfect pieces.

At the hospital, she used a phone to call Evan's cell number, also provided by Landry. He answered the unfamiliar number with a tentative voice. "Hello?"

"Evan?" Just hearing his voice for the first time in nearly a week brought a sense of relief to Jennifer.

"Jen? What are you. . .where. . .how. . .?"

She laughed at the stunned sound of his voice. "Where are you?"

"Just pulling up to the hospital." He cleared his throat. "It's good to hear your voice."

"You have no idea," she replied.

"How did Landry and Sheppard pull this one off?"

"Oh, you'll see." She grinned. "There's a surprise for you inside." Rather than waiting for his response, she handed the phone back to the receptionist, who shared her grin.

Moments later, Evan rushed through the front door. Jennifer stood and stared at him, her hands sweating as she took in every aspect of his appearance. He'd lost some weight, but not a lot. And he appeared to have shaved recently. But, in spite of his haggard expression, he was still the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw her. Rather than waiting for him, she threw herself across the tile floor. Evan caught her, spinning her around and laughing along with her. Jennifer let him hold her close, breathing in the scent that was unique to only him. "I missed you," she said, not worried that the words were muffled into his shoulder.

"I missed you, too," he said into her hair. For just a few minutes, they stood there, drawing the attention of every person in the large lobby as they held each other. When Jennifer finally stepped back to take a close look at him, she saw tears in his eyes.

Laying her hand on his face, she smiled. "I'm here, and everything will be okay."

"Yes, it will," he replied roughly. "I need to get back to ICU. Otherwise. . . ." He nodded toward the door.

Even after a year, Jennifer still flushed at the thought of intimacy with Evan Lorne. "Later," she promised. "For now, I'd like to meet your mom."

Their happy mood sobered considerably as Evan explained their relationship and Jennifer's profession as a doctor. She knew she carried some impressive credentials, and the doctor ran through some technical jargon with her. Jennifer understood every word, and she would explain it to Evan. In time. For now, she just wanted to be with the man she loved.

In the hospital room, she studied the woman in the bed. Evan got his dark hair from his mother. Although hers had been shaved when doctors treated her head trauma, Mrs. Lorne carried hints of the color in the hair that had begun to grow back. Jennifer ran an experienced eye over all the monitors surrounding the bed and knew what each one told her. Evan's mother could wake up at any moment, or she could stay asleep forever. Jennifer hoped for the best.

Behind her, Evan pulled her into his arms. "What are you doing here?" he asked softly.

Jennifer smiled. "I kept getting these little messages." She turned to see him smile. "I knew they were from you."

"It wasn't the way I wanted it to work out." He shook his head. "I had this entire holiday planned, but it fell apart."

She put a hand on his chest. "It's fine, Evan. I don't mind. In fact," she said as she reached into her pocket. "I have a message for you."

His eyebrows rose as she handed the first piece of candy to him. A purple heart, with the words "Be Mine," rested in the palm of his left hand. Then, she added the second message. "4Ever" touched his right hand with a splotch of pink.

Evan blinked at the message as the implications hit him. He stared into her eyes. "You're sure? Absolutely, one-hundred-percent sure?"

"No turning back sure," she said.

He swallowed again, this time not minding the tears that squeezed out of his eyes. "Jennifer, I didn't want to do this here." His voice roughened with emotion, and he cleared his throat. "But I don't care anymore. Life is too short." He stepped back from her and dropped to one knee at the foot of his mother's hospital bed. Pulling a small box from his pocket, he opened it to reveal the most beautiful wedding set she'd ever seen. "Marry me."

Jennifer couldn't hold back her tears any longer. The separation, the stress, and her happiness combined to open the waterworks. "Yes!" she whispered.

Evan stood and, with shaking hands, slid the engagement ring onto her finger. He'd even managed to get it the right size. Jennifer admired it for all of two seconds before she allowed Evan to sweep her into his arms. He kissed her, wiping all awareness of their surroundings from her mind. Neither of them noticed the woman in the hospital bed as she stirred for the first time in days.

Evan finally pulled back, allowing Jennifer to breathe. She leaned her head against his, touching his face with her left hand. Her ring sparkled in the dim sunlight of the room, and she smiled at him. "I'm glad I came."

"Me, too."

A weak whisper broke into their happiness. "Evan?"

Jennifer felt him stiffen, and she turned to see his mother watching them with confusion in her eyes.

Evan blinked, and more tears came to his eyes. "Mom." He softly walked to her side as Jennifer pressed the call button on the bed. She moved to check the monitors, noticing the favorable readings. She would have grabbed a penlight to check pupil dilation, but Mrs. Lorne's doctor arrived. She and Evan stepped back, but his mother grabbed his hand.

"It's about time!" she whispered.

Jennifer buried her face in Evan's shoulder as he let out a relieved laugh. Yes, it was about time. As he tightened his arms around her, she knew that everything would be okay.

It would take several days for doctors to call Mrs. Lorne's recovery a miracle.

The day they headed back to Atlantis, Jennifer found a crushed box in her suitcase. She laughed, bringing Evan into the hotel room from the shower. As he stood behind her, she explained her rush to the store and the search she'd done. In the end, candy hearts had brought their hearts together.

4Ever.

~The End~