Much later and after the last embers of the bonfire had waned, Elizabeth carefully made her way back to the cabin. Inside, she peered into John's room. Empty. Her stomach churned with relief and... disappointment. She wandered back out to the porch. The soft moonlight danced upon the lightly rippling lake waters. It would be a beautiful night to wait, but she was exhausted from all that had transpired that day. Returning inside, she washed up and reluctantly made her way to bed. She eyed the wardrobe, but she was bone weary and didn't feel like changing. Instead, she unhooked her bra and lazily tugged it out the sleeve of her dress before crawling into the soft bedding.

Elizabeth was foggily aware she'd begun tossing, turning. Without Carson's sleeping pills, she often couldn't elude her frequent nightmares. She struggled to fight off sleep and awaken, but couldn't seem to open her eyes. They were so heavy…

Startled awake by a sound, voices, growing closer, she jumped out of bed and found she was wearing familiar white hospital scrubs. Frantically, her eyes tore through the room noting the hospital bed, clinical smell and cold tile floors.

Elizabeth jerked in her sleep, but not enough to fully awaken her. This isn't real, she thought, not quite convincing herself before being swept into the darkness again.

They were trying to get in the door. Elizabeth could hear them talking about her medicine. There was nowhere to run.

"Elizabeth."

She turned, swirling to locate the source.

"John?"

Run, she thought, spotting a door she hadn't seen before. Behind the door was a shadow of a man. His voice seemed more urgent now.

"Elizabeth!"

Her eyes burst open and darted wildly around. Firm hands were on her shoulders, gently shaking her awake. She gasped for breath, cold chills thundering down her spine.

"John?" Her voice was hoarse.

The bed dipped as he tucked in behind her. His muscled arms encircled her, tugging her back against his chest. He was a wall of heat and she willingly melted into him. The remaining traces of terror started burning away as he held tight, gently stroking her hair.

"You all right?" John's breath fell hot against her ear.

Too focused sorting out what was real and what wasn't, for once she forgot to even worry about what was right or wrong. Want surged as the strongest of her chaotic emotions and she turned into him. She tucked her head into his neck and inhaled deeply, threading her fingers through his hair.

John sucked in his breath and loosened his grip. A fresh type of terror seized her heart as his body stilled. Her hands dropped to his chest and she pushed away. Moonlight filtered through the windows, softly illuminating the hesitation in his eyes.

"You were having a nightmare. Elizabeth." John propped up on one elbow. He reached out and grasped her arm, halting her retreat. "I wasn't sure if you were really awake."

"Definitely awake, John." There wasn't a cell in her body that wasn't clambering for her to close the gap between them.

His hand moved to her face and he stroked his thumb along her cheekbone. "Then tell me to stay." His voice low, gravelly.

A storm of emotion thundered through her body. She froze, pinned beneath his eyes. It was everything she wanted and the reality of it overwhelmed her. The moment stretched and he released her. He rolled off the opposite side of the bed and left the room without looking back. The cabin rattled a moment later when the front door swung firmly shut.

Elizabeth jumped out of bed, silently cursing herself. She moved quickly through the cabin. Somehow, inconceivably, she'd let him walk away. She yanked open the front door and spotted John already yards away, making his way down to the lake. She walked out onto the deck and grasped the railing, her head falling towards the ground.

In trying to protect herself, do what was best for the expedition, she had risked too much. The thought of losing his friendship was sobering. She was a diplomat, communication her specialty, and yet somehow this…he… was something she hadn't given a hundred percent. She watched John settle onto the ground near the edge of the water. A moment later, he started chucking rocks against the lake, sending them skirting across the glassy surface. She took a deep breath and steeled her resolution. She could still salvage this.

Still wearing the strappy dress, Elizabeth shivered in the light breeze. She considered turning back inside for a blanket, but knew she'd stalled long enough. Her bare feet tread gently down the steps and into the grassy meadow that lay between the cabin and the lake. Quiet as she was, she noted John's body tensing as she crept closer. He dropped the last rock and propped his elbows on his knees, staring resolutely forward.

"Go back to bed, Elizabeth." John's eyes never left the lake. "You need to sleep."

She gingerly settled in beside him, her hand on his shoulder steadying her descent. Touching him had been a mistake. She couldn't resist trailing her fingers down the strong lines of his back before coming to rest at his hip. His head dipped toward the ground, a soft sight escaping his lips. Elizabeth shivered again and tucked her knees into her chest. She leaned closer to his warmth and rested her head against his shoulder.

John shifted suddenly and her heart clenched painfully, thinking he was pushing her away.

"Get over here." His voice rasped against her ear, sending delicious tingles racing down her neck. "You're going to freeze."

The cool night air wasn't the only reason she was trembling, but she didn't protest when his arms tucked under her knees and around her back, scooping her up and pulling her within his arms. A moment later he resettled her on the ground in between his legs, her back snug against his chest. A delectable heat seeped into her body.

His hands rubbed her arms. "You realize ignoring this is starting to make things worse."

Her nerves rioted from the press of his body. She struggled to focus, to find the words. "The consequences-"

"Be damned." His arms tightened around her. "You know, one day our posting in Atlantis will come to an end. I'm not planning to wait around for them to tell me when I'm allowed to live."

"Or love?" She offered.

He fell silent. Vividly remembering John freezing within her arms the first time she'd hugged him in the gate room, her teeth pressed harshly against her lip. She should be treading more carefully with him.

The scruff on his chin scraped deliciously against her neck as he tucked his head down and pressed his lips against her bare shoulder. He certainly wasn't freezing up now, she mused. His mouth was hot on her skin, sparking a yearning that pulsed like wildfire through her veins. She peered over her shoulder and found his eyes simmering with delicious want. They had weeks before they could return to Atlantis, she considered hazily. There was time later to figure it out. Her right hand stretched back towards his face, her fingers delving into his thick shock of hair. She grasped onto the strands and tugged him closer, until his mouth clamped hungrily down upon her own.

TBC…

A/N: Thanks for reading and for taking the time to leave reviews. There are 2-3 more chapters coming, so follow if you'd like alerts when the next chapter drops.

I've also cleaned up half of older stories, so you may want to check them out. They should be a much more enjoyable read now. I'll keep working on the others as time allows. Updated stories include: Love Bug, Just a Little Snow, The Post it Note, Playing in the Rain, Occupational Hazard, Honor the Fallen, A Noteworthy Day, Civil Disobedience, Truth or Dare, A New Year's Resolution, Unrequited, It was a Different Life.