Chapter 6: Doppelganger

Doppelganger: a ghostly double of a living person that haunts its living counterpart

oOo

You shouldn't be alive Elizabeth

The image was haunting, its featureless voice haunting her nightmares.

You should have died that day in space with the rest of your friends.

She was trapped in an endless maze of the Atlantean corridors and she didn't know how to get out.

You escaped your fate-

Though the voice was haunting she felt as though something or someone stronger was pulling her away from the nightmare.

But do not worry, you shall return to it once more-

oOo

"Hey there-" John whispered as Elizabeth opened her eyes. "-sleeping beauty, you looked as though you were having a nightmare."

"I was…" Elizabeth answered honestly as she sat up.

It had been two weeks since their settlement on New Lantea but in the damage done by the Asuran weapon their main dialling control panel was damaged, thus leaving them completely cut off from Earth. The Apollo with Elis on it had instantly gone back to Earth leaving the city to run as it always has with the small exception that everyone was essentially trapped.

"…I was." Elizabeth continued as she saw John pull out his favourite book 'Princess Bride' from his bag. "But it's gone now- you chased it away."

"Glad that I could be of service-" John flirted doing a mock bow before turning gravely serious as he began to flip though the pages. "-now do you remember where we ended yesterday?"

"Yes." She answered warmly with a glowing smile. "We were right around the part where Buttercup realises that the man in black is her beloved Westley…"

"Right, right…" He muttered as he flipped through the pages to 164 and began reading. "… 'You can die to for all I care-' she said and then she turned away. Words followed her. Whispered from far, weak and warm and familiar. "As…you…wish…" Down in the mountaints, Buttercup turned back to the source of the sound and stared down as in first light, the man in black struggled to remove his mask. "Oh, my sweet Westley," Buttercup said. "What have I done to you now?" From the bottom of the ravine there came only silence…"

John read and read and Elizabeth let his voice wash over her. It was soothing and expressive and wonderful and she could see the story unfolding within her mind. A couple pages later, 173 to be exact Elizabeth stopped John to point something out that had always bugged her.

"So this is the part where S. Morgenstern skipped the reunion scene right?"

"That's right…" John confirmed placing the book on his knees. "…why do you ask?"

"Well, it just doesn't make any sense." Elizabeth continued. "Buttercup and Westley have been away for so long, you would think that he would have given the readers the satisfaction of seeing them come together again."

"You would think." John agreed. "But Goldman says here that Morgenstern wanted his characters to have a bit of privacy…"

"…what privacy?" Elizabeth asked. "They are characters in a book."

"I know." John agreed with a smile. "But in the movie they put that scene in."

"Can you recite it for me John?" Elizabeth asked, her hazel eyes begging him. "I know you've watched the movie hundreds of times."

"Word for word or will the gist do?"

"Oh word for word John," Elizabeth begged with a smile. "-you know how I love that part."

"Oh alright…" John agreed with a sigh. He closed the book and took a deep breath before beginning. "Buttercup had just pushed the man in black off the cliff and he shouted back at her…

'As…..You…wish….'

And she walked to the precipice and looked down and whispered to herself

'Oh my sweet Westley, what have I done?' And then she threw her self off the cliff and they tumbled down it. They finally reached the bottom and after laying there for a moment catching their breaths they reached for each other and Westley took his beloved Buttercup into his arms and said in a concerned voice;

'Can you move at all?'"

"Move?" Elizabeth substituted a blush on her cheeks as she filled in for Buttercup, her voice going all light and airy as needed. "You're alive, if you want I can fly."

"I told you I would always come for you," John continued, imitating Westley. "Why didn't you wait for me?"

"Well…" Elizabeth began, pondering the question thoroughly. "…you were dead."

"Death cannot stop true love-" John stated sincerely his face inching towards Elizabeth's. "-all it can do is delay it for a while….."

"… I will never doubt again." She stated firmly her face inching towards his, their eyes locking.

"There will never be a need…"

"Well, there is a need for my patient to rest." Dr. Keller interrupted causing John and Elizabeth to jump back in fear, their gaze broken. "I'm sorry Colonel, but you'll have to continue the story later."

"But she just woke up-" John argued with a pout causing Elizabeth to giggle, and break the tension.

"Please," She asked hoping for a break. "- I did just wake up."

"I know that Dr. Weir-er-Elizabeth." Dr. Keller agreed. "But you are still my patient and you need as much sleep as you can get."

"Oh alright…." Elizabeth conceded before turning to John. "…can you come by this afternoon?"

"I'd be glad too." John stated with a smile as Dr. Keller turned and left them alone.

"Bring 'The Princess Bride' with you okay?"

"As you wish…"

Elizabeth's heart leapt to her throat as John turned and left. He had told her what Westley had told Buttercup for months as his own way of telling her that he loved her. And when John had said it there had been something in his eyes that she hadn't seen before and to Elizabeth's surprise she really hoped that what she saw was really there and had wanted it for a long time.

'But since when have I wanted to see something in his eyes….?'

oOo

She was walking down the stairs to the gate, everything was eerily quiet and everything was lit with an eerie blue-green light that was not a normal part of the Atlantean décor.

'What is going on here?' Elizabeth asked herself as she reached the bottom. 'Where is everyone?'

Everyone is gone Elizabeth

The voice was back and Elizabeth felt a shiver run down her spine.

You shouldn't be alive

The image was haunting, its featureless voice haunting her nightmares.

You should have died that day in space with the rest of your friends.

She was trapped in an endless maze of the Atlantean corridors and she didn't know how to get out.

You escaped your fate-

Though the voice was haunting she felt as though something or someone stronger was pulling her away from the nightmare.

But do not worry, you shall return to it once more-

oOo

"You're having nightmares?" Kate Hieghtmeyer asked worriedly as she sat beside Elizabeth who was still confined to her hospital bed. "What of?"

"Nothing in particular-" Elizabeth admitted with a blush. "-it's just I've been having the same dream for the last little while. A week or so."

"What happens in them?"

"Well, the last one I had I was walking towards the gate and there was a voice- I don't remember what it said and then I was in a maze and…" Elizabeth sighed the details of the dream slipping away. "…and that's all I can remember."

"Well," Kate began slowly, wondering what to make of these nightmare's of Elizabeth's. "-I can ask Dr. Keller to prescribe you something to make you sleep through the night I know how much you need your rest."

"That would be lovely Kate thank you…"

Kate Hieghtmeyer left and did not leave Elizabeth content. She still felt as though something was wrong with her, but she knew that she would have to keep those thoughts to herself until she figured out what was going on- or got much better.

A/N- Hello beloved readers:D Here we go, another chapter. But before I do anything I must thank Anuna for letting me borrow the plot bunny of reading in the infirmary. The scene where John was reading to Elizabeth was borrowed from her story 'Sweet Cowboy Comfort' when Elizabeth read the same thing to him- of course I added a few important details. -giggle- but anyways thank you dear Suzotchka for being the only one of my reviewers to review the last chapter- I really apreciate it. I hope that you and others will review this one too and chapter 7 is being a pain in the behind so who knows when it will come out. But fear not beloved readers- it will come out eventually...