Steph7085 – I'm glad you liked the scene with Michael and thanks for the review, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Suzotchka1 – John and Elizabeth do need to sit down and talk but I'm not going to make it that easy. I figured just because Liz was in a car crash it doesn't make all their problems just vanish. Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Fyd818 – Things aren't going to get much better for John and Elizabeth yet I'm afraid but I'm glad you liked the scene where Michael got taught his lesson and John's line about the cops. Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Tiril Nordie – I'm glad you like the Laura and Carson pairing and Ronon and Teyla are my fave pairing too. I love Ronon's protectiveness of Teyla on the show despite the fact that she doesn't really need it. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for the review.

- - -

Chapter 16

It had been a few days since Elizabeth had been released from the hospital. She was finding it much easier and far less painful to move around. Physiotherapy was going well and Laura was sure she would be back to a hundred percent within a few weeks. Being home had been exactly how she had expected it to be, uncomfortable and awkward. Things were no better between her and John than they had been before she'd had her accident. In some ways they almost seemed worse. Elizabeth was still angry with him for not making it home in time for their dinner and John had his guilt over the accident eating away at him.

She was looking forward to when she would be able to get back to work. She knew everyone would be feeling sorry for her and as much as she knew she was going to hate that she needed to get out of the house. More precisely she needed an escape form the awkwardness that filled it whenever she and John were in it together. She had spoke to Laura and Carson about the possibility of going back to work now that she was getting better and they had both told her she should be able to go back next week if all was well.

She was sat on the couch drinking her coffee and reading her book when John walked in ready to go to work. He had at least stopped leaving for work before she woke up on a morning and coming home long after she had gone to sleep so at least they actually saw each other even if they didn't really talk. He offered her a small smile as he tried to locate his keys and Elizabeth resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she picked them up from the coffee table and held them up in the air. John spotted her movement and smiled in amusement at himself before taking them from her hands.

"Thanks," he said quietly.

"Your welcome," she replied equally as quietly and he stared at her for a long moment before taking a deep breath to mentally shake himself.

"I have to go to work, I'll see you tonight," he told her as he turned to leave.

"I'm not going anywhere," she mumbled bitterly under her breath as she heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. She waited until she heard the sound of his engine fade away before turning back to her book. She wasn't even taking in what she was reading her mind was too occupied by other thoughts. Over the last few days she had managed to read half of the book without actually knowing what was going on in it.

- - -

Teyla was about to leave for work when there was a knock at the door. She was only mildly surprised when she opened it to reveal Ronon stood waiting patiently for her. She stepped back to let him into her house and closed the door behind her. It had been days since she'd seen Michael so she figured whatever Ronon and probably John had done had worked. It felt as though a huge weight had been lifted and she felt better than she had in a long time. Parts of her life finally seemed to be putting themselves back together, Michael was gone and Elizabeth was recovering nicely from the accident however other parts just seemed to get more and more complicated.

"That's looking better," Ronon stated gesturing to the bruise on her cheek and Teyla unconsciously lifted her hand to touch it.

"Yeah, it's almost gone and with a little foundation it'll be completely invisible," she replied with a small smile. "So do I want to know what you did to Michael?"

"Like I said he just needed scaring," he told her with a shrug.

"What did you do to him?" Teyla asked curiously.

"John and I followed you around for a couple of days and found him hanging around the museum. We followed him into the alleyway and I strangled him and told him if he came near you I'd kill him. John made sure he wouldn't call the cops and we left."

"You strangled him?" she questioned.

"I barley touched him, he won't even have a mark."

"Okay, well I think it worked. I haven't seen him in days," she informed him.

"That's good."

"Thank you," she told him seriously as her eyes locked with his "Thank you for helping me, for caring."

"I will always care," he replied his voice as serious as hers and full of as much emotion as she had ever heard from him and it took her a moment to recover her senses.

"I, em, have to go to work," she said breaking eye contact with him as she turned to grab her bag.

"Yeah, me too," he said sadly and she closed her eyes against the torrent of emotions it caused. She quickly headed to the door and allowed Ronon to leave before locking her door and getting in her car. She saw Ronon's car drive away and finally released the breath she hadn't realised she had been holding. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tighter as she leant her head against it. She took several deep breaths to calm her raging emotions and lifted her head, starting the car she headed to work.

- - -

"You have got to be kidding me," John stated in exasperation as he and Ronon sat at their desks "So the husband was having an affair with the sister."

"It would seem so," Ronon replied.

"Why would she tell us that Marie thought her husband was having an affair if the affair was with her?" John questioned his exasperation with this case increasing by the second.

"Maybe she thought it would make us less suspicious of her," Ronon suggested with a shrug.

"I hate that we didn't see this coming," John told him bitterly.

"We were both kind of distracted by other things" Ronon replied sounding as though he was only half paying attention to their conversation.

"Well I suppose we'd better go and have another talk with the two of them," John said.

"Suppose so."

"Are you okay, you seem kind of… distracted?" John asked.

"I' fine, I just…went to see Teyla this morning," Ronon answered.

"Ah, that explains it," John stated receiving a mild glare from his partner. "Is she okay?"

"She said she hasn't seen Michael in days."

"Well that's good," John said cheerfully.

"Yeah, you should have seen her she look better than she has in weeks," Ronon explained.

"This is all good news," John informed his partner, "So why do you look so sad?"

"It's nothing," Ronon replied shaking his head, "Let's go."

John knew it wasn't nothing but he also knew if Ronon didn't want to tell him there was no use in trying. He knew Ronon would talk to him when he was ready so John left it at that. He stood up and followed his partner out of the building and toward their car.

TBC