Chapter 5

"Are you enjoying the party, Evan?"

"Absolutely, ma'am!" Lorne enthused. "And may I take the liberty of saying you look beautiful tonight?"

Elizabeth smiled and murmured her thanks. Teyla had helped her choose the velvety dark red dress. It was in the Athosian style, and as such, was a bit lower cut than Elizabeth was accustomed to wearing. But she had to admit that she was enjoying the compliments and admiring looks she'd been receiving all evening.

"Have you lost your drink already?" she teased, noticing his hands were empty.

"No ma'am. As a matter of fact…" He looked around, and then smiled as a pretty dark-haired woman appeared at his side, bearing two wine glasses. "Thanks hon, I was wondering where you were."

As she handed Lorne a glass, she turned to Elizabeth, surprising her with a greeting.

"Hello, Dr. Weir. Thanks for inviting the Daedalus to the party!"

Elizabeth's eyes widened as she recognized Lindsey Novak, her hair down and a burnt gold dress hugging her slim figure.

"Well, hello, Lindsey. And don't you look lovely!"

She smiled as Lindsey blushed and hiccupped. But even more endearing was the decidedly smitten look on Lorne's face as he gazed at the young woman standing next to him.

"Thank you, Dr. Weir," she replied, smoothing her hair self-consciously. "We've all been looking forward to the party."

"Yeah, even Hermiod is here," Lorne added with a grin.

"Hermiod?" Elizabeth repeated in disbelief. While not unwelcome, the cranky little Asgard was the last person she'd expected at the party.

"He loves Athosian beer," Lindsey explained. "And for a little guy, he can hold his own!"

"I don't know how he does it," Lorne said, with a shake of his head. "I still remember my first Athosian beer hangover."

"I do too," John said, as he joined the group. "You looked so bad the next day I offered to shoot you and put you out of your misery."

Lorne laughed. "Sir, the way I was feeling I don't think even killing me would've brought any relief."

He paused as he noticed the bottle of champagne and two glasses the Commander was holding. "Well, Linds...I guess this is our cue to leave and make sure Hermiod isn't scaring people away from the bar again."

"Or you could watch Teyla try to teach Caldwell that Athosian folk dance." John offered. "That should be good for a few laughs."

"Yes sir," he said, his eyes sparkling. "Have a good evening, Sir…ma'am."

Elizabeth watched them disappear into the crowd. "Looks like another one you can cross off your Stalker's List," she said, slanting an amused glance up at John.

"Sounds like a good reason to celebrate," he said. Gesturing toward a secluded alcove by the windows, he held up the champagne flutes and bottle. "Shall we?"

In response, she smiled and slipped her hand into the crook of his arm and let him lead the way.

They'd spent the better part of the evening, mingling with the noisy crowd – sometimes together, sometimes separately – and the blissful quiet of the moonlit alcove was a welcome relief.

"This is nice," Elizabeth sighed as he handed her both flutes to hold. She watched as he eased the cork out of the bottle with his thumbs, smiling in approval when it slid out with a gentle sigh and a wisp of smoke.

"I'm impressed," she said as he filled her glass. "Most men end up shooting the cork at some poor unsuspecting person."

The corners of his mouth twitched in amusement as he filled his own glass. "Sounds like the first time Beckett sat in the Control Chair."

Elizabeth smiled wistfully. "That seems like a lifetime ago," she mused, a hint of sadness in her voice. Giving herself a mental shake, she looked up – knowing before she did, that she'd find a pair of concerned eyes watching her.

Holding up her glass, she looked resolutely into his eyes. "To old endings…"

"…and new beginnings," he finished.

They gently clinked their glasses, and then took a long sip.

"Mmmm," Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed. "How did you manage to get your hands on such a great bottle of champagne?"

"It's from Caldwell."

Elizabeth looked at him skeptically. "Dare I ask…?"

John grinned. "You've noticed how Teyla makes a point of being around whenever the Daedalus is here?"

She nodded as she took another sip.

"Well, the last time they were here, she invited Caldwell to have tea with her."

"Really?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Did Steven understand what she meant by her invitation?"

"Obviously not, since I could tell he was on the verge of saying he preferred coffee," John rolled his eyes. "But I was standing behind Teyla and caught his eye and made the hand signal for 'proceed forward'."

Elizabeth laughed. "And then you later explained to him that from an Athosian, an invitation to tea is an overture of friendship?"

"Yup." He smiled in satisfaction and raised his glass. "Which is why I later received this fine champagne with a note: 'Thanks for the intel'."

Turning her attention toward the crowded ballroom floor, Elizabeth easily found the two by the difference in their heights. The Athosian folk tune had segued into the Lantean equivalent of the slow dance and Caldwell and Teyla were obviously enjoying it.

"I'm surprised that a man with Steven's experience and confidence would need to have someone intervene, as it were," she commented.

John chuckled. "Understanding battle strategy does not prepare you for understanding women."

"Words of wisdom from our resident Captain Kirk?" she teased, her eyes watching him over the rim of her glass as she drank. She was surprised to see him frown and a hurt expression flash across his features. "John?"

"Why does everyone insist on giving me a hard time about that?" he demanded irritably.

"Maybe because you attract women like your team attracts trouble?"

"It's not like I do it on purpose," he grumbled, finishing off his champagne. Noticing her empty glass, he took it from her and set both their glasses on the window ledge.

"Well, it must be the Lantean clothing then," she responded, "because you were quite popular tonight." As he turned back to her, she reached up to straighten the collar on his dark tunic, and then let her hands drift lightly down his chest to smooth the silky fabric. "Every time I looked over, you were surrounded by women."

John smiled, his mood suddenly lighter. Did she just admit that she'd been watching him when they weren't together?

"And look who's talking," he retorted light-heartedly. "How many times did I have to elbow my way through a crowd of men just to get near you?

"Although considering how amazing you look in that dress," his eyes traveled appreciatively over her. "I don't blame them."

She flushed at the open admiration in his gaze. There had always been a flirtatious edge to their friendship but there was something different about it tonight and she found it unsettling and exciting at the same time.

Then curiously, John was looking away, nervously licking his lips.

"I, uh, noticed you were talking to Simon for quite a while tonight." His eyes flickered over her face and then darted away again. "Catching up on old times?" he asked, with forced casualness.

Puzzled, Elizabeth tilted her head and studied the man fidgeting in front of her. She'd never seen him so ill at ease…and of all people, why would he ask about…

Suddenly John's attitude toward Simon in the mess took on a completely different meaning and her eyes widened as a thought struck her.

"John…are you jealous of Simon?"

His head whipped back toward her. This is it, he thought; his stomach starting to knot. I tell the truth…look like a jerk…and crash and burn.

For a panicked moment, he almost backed off (a strategic retreat, he corrected) but as he searched Elizabeth eyes, he was surprised to find neither accusation nor recrimination there.

Talking a deep breath he held her gaze, and then let it out in an awkward rush of words. "I know it's stupid and I have no right to be jealous…but…yes…yes, I am."

Elizabeth's mouth softened into a gentle smile. Moving forward slightly, she let her hand brush John's, her smile deepening as his strong fingers reflexively intertwined with hers. "You have no reason to worry," she assured him quietly. "Simon and I have a history but it's a past history."

He shuffled closer. "And would you be interested in having a future with someone?" he asked hopefully.

"That depends…" she paused as if in thought. "Would this someone happen to know the right way to open a bottle of champagne?"

A slow smile spread across John's face as he put his hands lightly on her hips and pulled her toward him. "That would be one of my many talents," he murmured as he leaned in and brushed his lips across her cheek. "So how do I apply for the position?" he asked, his words soft against her skin as he kissed his way to her lips.

He paused, his mouth hovering warmly over hers. "Liz'beth?" he breathed.

Her answer was a kiss…sweetly urgent and so hot with invitation that it caught John by surprise. But before he could wrap his arms around her and return it, she pulled back and stepped out of his embrace.

Smiling at the dazed look still lingering on his face, Elizabeth tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. "No need to apply…the position is yours if you want it." She arched an eyebrow at him. "After all, there's no one left on the Stalkers List anymore, so I'm afraid all I have is you."

John grinned. "I can live with that," he said, settling her hand firmly into his elbow.

As they walked out together, John let out a relieved and happy sigh. Perhaps this time, he thought, he wasn't going to crash and burn after all.

The End