The next few days were a blur of meetings and interviews for Elizabeth. Thankfully this time John keep close at hand, with Teyla always nearby when he wasn't. Colonel Carter was gracious enough to allow her to work as an Ancient translator and negotiator until the IOA decided what they wanted to do with her. She couldn't return to Earth in case the Replicators tracked her there directly, so Atlantis was the safest option for both Elizabeth and the greater human population. Talk about feeling like a 'Typhoid Mary' . When she wasn't being grilled about her time under the replicator's control she was in the lab with Rodney and Dr Keller, both trying to work out a way to neutralise the nanites within her body without killing her in the process. In the interim Rodney had decided that setting up a dampening field around Atlantis was the easier and more immediate option, thus blocking any signals that might try and 'reintegrate' Elizabeth or tamper with her nanites programming. Eliminating the nanites would have to come later, or at the very least reprogramming them to only effect essential repairs on her body and nothing else.
3 days after she had returned Elizabeth dragged herself back to her quarters, her mind numb from constant bombardment for information and her body screaming at her to either exercise it to work her stiff muscles or let it sleep. She had noted a physical effect when Rodney had initiated the dampening field, her body aching with a tiredness unlike that which she had ever felt before. Dr Keller assured her the nanites would adapt and she would feel normal again soon, but in the meantime to take it easy.
She opted for a light yoga session with Teyla, the Athosian woman never seemed far from her side and always wanting to offer a ear to air her frustrations with. The yoga mats were pulled out from their storage cupboard and laid on the floor, the two women falling easily into the rhythm of the workouts they used to practice on a regular basis before Elizabeth had been taken. They stretched in a comfortable silence, until the doors opened revealing a rather startled John Sheppard.
" I.. umm... I can come back" John stuttered, seeing both Elizabeth and Teyla in a folding split pose, folding their upper bodies over endlessly long legs. The colour rose in his cheeks and Elizabeth couldn't help but chuckle.
" It's ok John, we're almost done" Elizabeth smirked, unravelling herself and getting to her feet to finish with a few of the easier poses. John plonked himself on the bed to watch, trying to emulate some of their movements with a comical expression on his face.
" You are intolerable" Teyla remarked with a friendly slap on the shoulder she gave up trying to concentrate on her poses and caught John imitating her out of the corner of her eye. She bade Elizabeth farewell and departed, dropping her yoga mat into the storage cupboard near the door as she left.
" I didn't know you were that flexible" John remarked, impressed by her ability.
" I didn't know you could blush that colour" She retorted, rolling up her own mat and stowing it for later use.
" Takes years of practice" John quipped, flopping down again on her bed. He seemed to be infinitely more comfortable around her since their conversation which had ended up a rather cosy embrace a few days ago, almost as though he'd crossed a line in his mind and wasn't that worried about it anymore. Elizabeth however whilst acutely aware of his change in demeanour, but it was somewhat overwhelmed by the grilling by every man and their dog since she had returned. Now though in the privacy of her quarters with only John for company, she mulled over the change.
John quirked an eyebrow at her sudden seriousness, her expression conflicted as she stared out the long window in her quarters to the city beneath.
" Penny for your thoughts?" He asked gently, rising from the bed and standing close behind her. His hands found their way to her shoulders and began massaging the tense muscles that hadn't quite been released by her yoga workout.
" I was just thinking..." Her voice trailed off, her eyes drifting closed as his fingers worked their magic on her shoulders.
" About?" He prompted after a few minutes, knowing she would be having a hard time concentrating.
" Us...well you more specifically" She finally answered, turning around so that she was facing him. " What changed?"
" Well there's the fact that you technically aren't my boss anymore, and you aren't military, so there's no rules or protocol preventing an... US" John said carefully, choosing his words for maximum effect without sounding like a desperate teenager.
" Well there is that" Elizabeth retorted, honestly not having had the time to consider that little detail since she had returned.
" I don't want to rush things, I just want you to know I'm here for you, and I'd like there to be an 'US' when things settle down " John explained, his hands returning to her shoulders as if to emphasise his point.
She was quiet for a while, her face a mixture of bliss and conflict. He could almost see her mind weighing up the pros and cons of his words before closing down completely as his fingers moved of their own accord into her hair. A sigh of contentment escaped her lips and he took it as a positive sign. Against his better judgement and his self-imposed sanction to take things slowly, he leant forward and brushed his lips to hers, the fleeting contact enough to make her snap her eyes open in surprise.
He immediately retreated, fearful that he'd once again overstepped the line before a hand on his stopped him.
" Please don't" She said quietly, her fingers around his wrist to prevent him from moving further away. " You just startled me... I wasn't expecting that"
Her words sounded odd even to her own ears, tinged by why.. hope.. expectation, a dash of fear perhaps?
He changed tactic allowing his arms to drop to his side in a somewhat innocent matter.
" You don't wanna know how long I've been wanting to do that" He quipped, quirking an irresistible smile at her before reaching and this time grabbing of her wrists.
" Lie down, I'll give you a back massage" He said, indicating for her to lie front first on the bed. She hesitated for a moment and he caught on to her expression.
" I promise I'll behave, you've been through a lot in the last few days, nanites or not you need to relax... besides.. my back rubs are famous in many college dorms" John retorted playfully, pulling her towards the bed. She followed him and did as he instructed, wriggling out of her shirt whilst he tactfully looked the other way. Flopping belly down on the bed and grabbing on of her pillows she tried not to remind herself she was now half naked in front of John Sheppard as she cleared her throat to catch his attention.
The sound of a bottle being pulled from his pocket and a small amount of liquid being poured onto his hands caused her to glance behind her, keeping care to keep her front tactfully covered.
" Massage oil? Where on Earth did you get that from?" she questioned as the lavender scent reached her noise.
" The massage therapist who works with Dr Heightmeyer.. she recommended I get you to relax" John remarked, giving her a look that said ' lie down and don't fall asleep on me'.
Elizabeth took the hint and resumed her position on the bed, covering the intake of breath and John carefully undid the clasp of her bra and slid the straps down her arms. Her skin tingled with his touch and she desperately hoped he couldn't see the colour rising in her face. Damnit she hadn't blushed like this since she was a schoolgirl.
Ever the gentleman Sheppard began his massage, forcing his body to behave as he kneaded the knotted muscles in her back and shoulders. He felt her body begin to relax under his touch, her breathing evening out as she succumbed to the sleep that had been eluding her for the last several nights. He knew she'd been plagued with nightmares, he'd seen the dark circles under her eyes every morning before a healthy slathering of makeup hid any trace of them.
He continued for as long as his hands would hold up, hoping that she was slip into a deep healing sleep and remain that way for a while. He covered her with a blanket, and kicked off his own shoes and claiming what was left of the bed to himself. So it wasn't exactly the way he had envisioned their first night together, but it was a start nonetheless, and he was more than happy with that.
