Four months later...
Elizabeth stretched out before the lake, basking in the rays of the warm sun against her damp skin. She ran her fingers through her wet hair in a halfhearted attempt to tame her curly locks which had reached new lengths after months without a haircut. John had returned to the cabin for dry clothes, he was scheduled for an afternoon work assignment in the village. Elizabeth had already completed hers. She'd started just before dawn, assisting with the village baking. She'd returned mid-morning coated with flour and in desperate need of washing up.
Swimming had been John's idea. She bit down on her lip, remembering the press of his bare skin upon her own. It had been a rather good idea, she thought, smiling lustily. The villagers never came here, preferring the river for fishing, so their little lake was always secluded.
In fact, over the past few months, they'd increasingly been left to their own devices. The after dinner tone of the village had quieted significantly. They now held bonfires once every six nights, instead of nightly, adding either meditation or having quiet family time on the other nights. John and Elizabeth selfishly indulged in those newfound hours for themselves.
One of her favorite indulgences was swimming late at night under the soft light of the moon. Maybe it was something about the dark, not being able to see well, but it was as if she could feel each individual molecule of water lightly caressing her skin. Plus, she considered, there was the whole lack of bathing suits thing that turned the experience into something altogether decadent. The temperature on this planet stayed blissfully moderate. Even so, they kept wood stocked near the shore, just in case. They could easily build a fire on the rocky shore and still enjoy any cooler nights.
Reluctantly she stood, her shoes dangling in her hands. They'd return to the lake that night, she decided, but now she wanted to say goodbye to John before he left for the afternoon. Kiss him goodbye, rather. Her fingers brushed against her swollen lips and she remembered the feel of his lips devouring her own just minutes ago. After months of living together, she'd expected the ardor to taper off, but instead the heat had only flared with more intensity.
She shook her head, hoping to jar the lusty thoughts from her mind. It didn't work, but she still managed to get her feet moving towards the cabin. She'd only taken a few steps when familiar voices drifted on the wind. Her heart skipped and her footsteps came to a dead halt. Her eyes pinned to the spot where the village trail emerged from the woods. A moment later she saw them.
"Teyla!" Elizabeth's arms darted into the air. "Over here."
She sprinted over to meet them. Ronon swept her off her feet into a brief bear hug.
"That was for putting up with Sheppard all this time." Ronan's voice was gruff. "You've been here for weeks?"
"Months." Elizabeth said, a bit sadly. Not for the time lost, but for this precious time with John coming to an end.
"Where is Colonel Sheppard?"
She'd missed Teyla's melodious voice. Missed them all more than they could know. Elizabeth nodded toward the cabin and started walking in that direction. "How did you get here? Find us?"
"Andara met us as we entered the portal, she directed us this way. As we suspected, they have offered to let us leave rather than let McKay touch the power generator." Teyla's eyes arched toward McKay.
"It's not like I would have broken it." McKay looked indignant. "Though taking the ZPM was tempting."
Her heat sank with disappointment. She'd thought the villagers knew more than they'd let on. But why would they have kept them here?
"Elizabeth?" John's voice called from the cabin.
Her breath caught as John emerged from the cabin onto the deck and she didn't even try to manage a response. John had pulled on his black cargo pants and boots, but his black shirt was haphazardly tossed over his bare shoulder, exposing what she considered a luscious expanse of muscled chest. She blinked rapidly and tried to morph her face into an expression of indifference. Hiding this from his team was going to be much harder than she'd considered.
From the corner of her eye, she noted Teyla's watchful eyes on her, narrowing in concentration. They flashed to John before returning back to settle pointedly upon her. Elizabeth's teeth pressed into her lips. Maybe if John's team hadn't arrived to find him half-dressed and both of them with wet hair in the middle of the afternoon, it would have taken Teyla longer than one minute to start suspecting.
John moved down the steps rapidly, his eyes intently scanning the empty lake front where she should have been. "Elizabeth?" His voice louder now, laced with concern.
"Sheppard!" McKay called, his face lighting up. "Thank goodness. It took us forever to walk here and I'm starving. "
A delighted grin stretched wide across John's face. "It's about damn time."
Elizabeth trailed slightly behind as John's team raced to meet him. John paused to tug his shirt down over his damp skin, before swiping a hand over his head. She smiled softly. As if he could possibly tame that thick shock of hair. Wet hair, she thought, twirling a strand of her own realizing it couldn't look much better.
"It's only been hours for us." Ronan shrugged with mock indifference. "Again."
McKay looked genuinely contrite. "You were-"
John waved him off. "Yeah, yeah. Time dilatation field, we know." Nodding towards Elizabeth. "Not my first rodeo."
At the mention of Elizabeth, the tight cluster of his team broke apart, making room for her in their circle. She found John looking somewhat expectantly at her. Somehow their time had slipped away without them ever deciding how to handle their return, but now she suspected their options were limited. They would fail miserably to hide this and his team was all too perceptive.
Elizabeth forced her eyes away and inhaled deeply while trying to settle her racing heart. She spotted Rodney wandering closer to the cabin.
"Do you have anything to eat in here?" Rodney called, before disappearing inside the cabin. He emerged seconds later. "This place is tiny! You must have been on top of each other the entire time."
A rush of heat flooded Elizabeth's cheeks.
Teyla's mouth opened softy in surprise before settling into a knowing smile. She nodded encouragingly towards Elizabeth. "It seems we have much to talk about."
The initial excitement from being reunited with his team was starting to fade from John's eyes.
"I guess we'd better grab our things." John said, his face scrunching in concentration.
She knew what was running through his mind. It would be different back on Atlantis. They would be different. Her legs felt leaden as she followed him inside.
John had finished stuffing his pack within minutes. He now lurked in their bedroom doorway, his arms stretched high as he leaned into the door frame above. The look on his face was unusually somber. Feeling his eyes upon her, she shifted uncomfortably and tugged at her uniform. She already missed the soft fabric of the sundresses she'd lived in the past months. Elizabeth carefully folded the borrowed clothing and tucked them away neatly in the cupboard. That was it. She slowly turned around the room taking in one last look and found herself turning into John's arms.
"This isn't over." His fingers threaded through her hair, his thumbs sweeping her cheekbones gently. "You got that?"
Before she could answer, his lips crashed down upon hers with an intensity that made her head swirl. His hands fell to her waist, his fingers skimming beneath her shirt. His mouth suddenly veered towards her ear and he blazed a tortuous path down her neck that took her breath away. Her head fell back and she gasped for breath.
John drew away suddenly. "You ok?"
Elizabeth's hand fell to her stomach as she struggled to regulate her breathing.
"Much better than ok. I just wasn't expecting that." She finally managed, bringing her eyes down from the ceiling to meet his. "Just don't surprise me like that once we're back in Atlantis. "
"You mean just not in public, right?" John closed the gap he'd put between them and a sly grin broke across his face.
"I still get to do this once we get back to Atlantis." He pressed a kiss to her collar bone. "And this." He moved to the other side of her face, pressing a kiss to her neck. "Right?"
His voice rasped sinfully against her ear, her shudder of appreciation probably only feeding the beast. She tugged his face back up, her lips brushing softly against his. "And this. Yes. "
Reluctantly, she pulled away, knowing they'd already taken too long. It was a damn miracle Rodney hadn't burst in already. Hoisting her daypack upon her shoulders, she turned to find John rubbing his chin absentmindedly as if deep in thought.
"Even if we're on the far corner of the balcony and no one could see us? Or.." He arched a brow speculatively. "What are your thoughts on storage closets? There are a lot of them-"
"Behave." She swatted playfully at him, unable to suppress her smile. "At least for a while. It's a long walk back to the portal."
John turned to his small pile of belongings. His mischievous smile faded into concentration while he methodically tapped varying pockets on his rucksack and pants, mentally inventorying varying knives, weapons and heaven only knew what else he had stashed on him. Apparently satisfied, he turned his attention back to Elizabeth and nodded. It was time to go.
"Finally." McKay grumbled as they exited the cabin. "What were you doing in there? You took forever."
Elizabeth ignored the remark along with the knowing look Ronon and Teyla exchanged. She instead glanced over her shoulder, one last poignant look at the cabin before turning to the lake. In this sanctuary, she and John had grafted together their hearts, creating a love more powerful than she'd ever experienced before. She would miss it desperately.
"Elizabeth, there is something you should know." Teyla nodded towards McKay.
"Yes, yes, yes. I was getting around to that." McKay had his tablet in hand, jabbing furiously at the screen. "Hammond contacted us just before we were set to go through the portal to get you. The Daedalus is in orbit above us. Elizabeth, they are set to beam you out as soon as the barrier is dropped, they want you back at Earth for a briefing."
From the corner of her eye, she saw John's head snap in her direction. Her mouth opened softly, but words slipped furiously through her fingers. An excruciating moment later, her head angled slowly towards John, his eyes locking fiercely onto her own. The air stilled as their eyes bored into each other's, reading shared disbelief and pain.
"The IOA …. Oh. Well. Anyway, there you have it." Rodney's voice trailed off, realizing he'd lost Elizabeth's attention. "They, ah, they'll have a ZPM to power the gate at Stargate Command by the time you're ready to return. The trip there will still take you a couple weeks on the Daedalus, but you can return to Atlantis the second you're done, for whatever that's worth."
"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I know you are anxious to get back to Atlantis." Teyla squeezed Elizabeth's arm gently. "I understand how difficult it is to be apart from those you care about."
"We should go." McKay picked up his backpack. "The Daedalus is broadcasting a continuous short range signal. I'll know the second the barrier is dropped."
"No need to worry, Dr. McKay, we'll wait until you've reached the portal and we'll ensure everyone is through before we secure the village again." Andara emerged from the woods moving towards them. "Elizabeth, may I have a word before we say goodbye?"
She took Elizabeth's arm and guided her away from the group. John swallowed deeply. She could still feel his eyes upon her as they made their way down to the lake.
Elizabeth's limbs felt leaden, her heart numb. There was nothing of consequence to answer for here, there was no reason the IOA would remove her, but that icy fear still rocked her body. She had to acknowledge the tiny chance she wouldn't be coming back to Atlantis.
"Don't you worry about that, my dear. Things have a way of working out as they should."
Elizabeth turned with surprise. "Worry about what?" It was as if Andara had been reading her thoughts.
Andara sighed softly, her eyes turning out towards the lake. "You've helped us more than you know, Elizabeth. I owe you an apology. Several actually."
Elizabeth felt slightly off kilter. She hadn't met many ancients that were apologetic.
"I knew, of course, how the portal works, but I withheld that from you. As soon as you and John arrived, I could see your thoughts, memories. Those of my kind call it a gift, but sometimes I wonder. Most of the time I work hard to tune it out, but I was curious about you."
Elizabeth felt her jaw dropping slowly. "So you?"
"I saw John's time in the cloister, how he'd help them shed their burdens and ascend. I saw how you and John help Dr. McKay. He could have ascended, had it been his choice. It has been years since any of my people had ascended. Those of us that are left, we've lived our entire lives here. We have lived well here under the protection of this village. Too well. We'd lost sight of what was most important. Your arrival woke us from our privileged lives and forced us to accept a responsibility that we'd long avoided."
"You could have let us leave? We've been gone from our team for six months." Elizabeth's mind reeled at the thought.
"Was it so bad, Elizabeth? Without Atlantis standing between you, your relationship with John evolved into something deeply meaningful, unique. It's rare, this special bond you've melded together." Andara started walking slowly around the lake.
Elizabeth trailed along at her side. "But-"
"Elizabeth, like I said, we have much to apologize for. We are grateful for your time with us. You and John, Elizabeth, you taught us about selflessness. The way you resisted your feelings for the better of your people. It was misguided, your restraint, but your intent resonated with us. We reflected upon this, strived to strengthen our character. It took time, months, but finally this week, some of my people have started to ascend again." Andara stopped turned to her. "This gift will not be forgotten. "
Elizabeth was speechless.
"Come now. Let's get you back to the portal before nightfall."
"I'd like to say goodbye to everyone."
Andara smiled fondly upon her. "Of course my dear. They are waiting for you."
TBC, I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for taking the time to read and for the reviews.