Chapter 18: Conversations with the Past
Elizabeth passed several people on her way to the head table, and while many of them were unfamiliar there were one or two gangly, sulking men against the walls that looked very familiar.
'I must have just passed them in the halls,' Elizabeth rationalized. 'How else could I have recognized them...'
The night slipped into early morning and John stood like a stone at the wall. Rodney consumed more than his fair share of alcohol as did Ronan. The two of them were laughing and joking with two Telarian women and John just had to shake his head. He then went to survey the ballroom which was slowly emptying of people. However, there in a corner was Elizabeth, Prime Minister Kellan and Minister of Peace Jal G'dan.
Once again the jealously began to brew but it was suddenly abated when Elizabeth looked up from her negotiating and smiled at him. She was clearly in her element, trying to negotiate for the acquisition for two of the Telarian's ZPMs in exchange for some of the abundant seawater that Atlantis possessed.
As John watched he saw that Elizabeth tried to stifle several yawns in a row. After she tried to stifle the seventh consecutive yawn, he knew that it was time to get her out of there.
"Excuse me," He interrupted as politely as he could, catching the 'thank you' glance from Elizabeth. "-but it's time for us to check in home and I'm sure that Dr. Weir would like to do that before she falls asleep at the table."
"Oh, forgive me." Prime Minister Kellan apologized profusely as he looked around, noticing for the first time that the party had begun to break up. "It seems as though we have completely monopolized your time."
"That's alright." Elizabeth stated with a smile. "But if you two will excuse me."
"Would you like an escort back to the gate Elizabeth?" Jal asked hopefully, standing up at the same time as Elizabeth. John, bristling with jealousy was about to answer when Elizabeth did it for him.
"Thank you for the offer Jal but I have an escort," She paused and turned to John who merely nodded. "-so if you will excuse me, we can continue our discussions in the morning."
"Of course," Jal answered not hiding his disappointment very well. "In the morning..."
With that, Elizabeth left the table with the two Telarian Ministers at it and John was close behind.
The walk out of the city towards the gate was spent in comfortable silence. Once there, Elizabeth dialled the gate while John kept a watchful eye all around them. Something was setting the warning bells in his head off and he was afraid that something might try to ambush them.
"Atlantis, this is Dr. Weir."
"Hello and good afternoon Dr. Weir," Came the friendly voice of Chuck through Elizabeth's radio. "-what can I do for you?"
"Well, it's early, early morning here Chuck," Elizabeth answered, her smile and tiredness evident through her voice. "-and all I need you to do is to make sure Atlantis runs smoothly for the next couple days."
"Days ma'am?"
"Yes," Elizabeth answered again, only with a sigh this time. "I made some good progress with the Telarians today but I get the feeling that it will still be a long process to get what we want- and need."
"Very well then ma'am."
"No problems so far Chuck?" Elizabeth asked, internally hoping for a problem that would call for her and John's team to return.
"No ma'am." Chuck answered. "Everything is working out wonderfully."
"Everything?" Elizabeth asked again, trying to give a hint to Chuck that she wanted to come home.
"Everything."
"Very well then." Elizabeth stated trying to hide the disappointment in her voice, but it was an emotion that John picked up on. "We'll contact you again at 1400 hours tomorrow."
"Very well ma'am." Chuck answered. "Atlantis out."
The gate cut off and Elizabeth was bathed in darkness once more. She heard a rustling behind her and whiled around. By the faint light of the two crescent moons that hung in the Telarian sky she could see John there before her.
"Oh John!" She exclaimed startled for a moment. "You scared me."
"Sorry," He answered apologetically. "But we should be getting back."
"Yes." Elizabeth agreed as they began to walk back towards the city. "Yes we should."
They were half way back when Elizabeth picked up the conversation that had been interrupted on the dance floor.
"You never answered my question."
"Huh?" John asked, startled out of his own world for a moment.
"I said that you never answered my question." Elizabeth repeated, knowing that John was not one to talk about his feelings. She also knew that to keep him talking she would have to be slow and patient and maybe then she would get the answers that she was seeking.
"And what question was that?" John asked curiously, playing dumb. He knew full well what the question was, but he wasn't prepared to answer it. Not yet at least, and certainly not to Elizabeth of all people.
Elizabeth smiled, knowing what John was doing. "You know what question, John."
"No." John protested shaking his head as they re-entered the city. "I don't know what question you're talking about."
"Well when we were dancing," Elizabeth began, a slight blush rising on her cheeks- something that John didn't notice and even if he had Elizabeth mused that he would just dismiss it as a by product of the wine she had consumed that evening. "I asked you a question."
"Uh-huh and..."
"And I would like to know the answer."
"Oh well..." John fell silent, trying to compose his answer. However, while he was thinking they arrived back in their residential building and right in front of Elizabeth's quarters.
"Well..." She began slowly, as she gripped the handle leading into her room "...I guess this is where we say goodnight."
"Yeah," John agreed, grimacing inwardly for not having the courage to answer her question. "I suppose that it is..."
"You know, you could come in for a while and we could finish our conversation."
John was speechless, here she was giving him the opportunity to tell her exactly WHY he wasn't a 'Kirk' and yet...
"I think that it would be a conversation better suited for a less—"
"A less stressful time?" Elizabeth suggested, watching as John nodded. She sighed inwardly and merely nodded. "Alright then, goodnight."
"Goodnight."
And with that John turned away and he heard the door click open and the beginnings of Elizabeth's scream before all went black.
oOo
'Elizabeth screamed?' John asked himself as he sat up in his cell. 'I didn't remember that before...' He pondered this new development as he ran the memory over in his head a couple more times. '...and I was walking away, I didn't remember that before.'
Relief suddenly washed over him. 'If I remember walking away then I know that I DIDN'T kill her- if she was even killed at all...'
Sunlight began to seep into his cell and John hoped that Rodney would get back ASAP.
"I have new information to give to the authorities," John mumbled, filling the silence with his voice. "-hopefully it will be enough that I can get out of here..."
Slowly, John laid back down on his meagre cot and let his thoughts drift- though they were never far away from the woman that he was deathly afraid for.
'Where ever you are Elizabeth,' He promised himself as he drifted off to sleep. 'I will find you, I promise you that...'
oOo
Meanwhile, in the bowels of Tel the capitol city, far beneath the prison cell that John was trapped in, Elizabeth sat still and unmoving and as cold as stone. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her shoulders in a vain attempt to warm herself up.
"I don't know HOW I could have been so STUPID!" Elizabeth mumbled, chastising herself out loud. "If I hadn't been so dismissive, if I-"
"Come, come now Doctor Weir." Stated a very silky evil voice as the door to her cell opened. "Even you must make mistakes sometimes." Elizabeth looked up and saw the horrible scarred face of Acastus Kolya and she inwardly shivered in fear and utter shock though outwardly her demeanour was one of stone.
"Tell me," Kolya continued. "-what do you think of my little trap?"
A/N- OO Kolya's back! -giggle- Yes, Kolya's back. How? Well, you guys will just have to tune in to next monday to find out. To those of you who reviewed the last chapter, HE, Ginger, Suz, lemons and lake I gotta say I loved your reviews and I hope that you (and others) will take the time to review this chapter too. And you guys will be glad to know that this story has almost doubled in length in the past week (thank the leaked episodes for that) and well... just wait till next week. :D So, TTFN- Ta Ta For Now!