We, the Sparky Army, decree 2008 to be the Year of the Spark. We pledge to post a new sparky story or chapter of a sparky story every day from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Though the Powers that Be have removed Elizabeth Weir from the regular cast of Stargate Atlantis, we feel that she remains an integral part of the show, and that the relationship between her and John Sheppard is too obvious to be ignored. We hope that you, and anyone might happen to read these works, agree.

And if that isn't official enough for you, we don't know what is. Seriously, guys, we're just trying to have some fun--and show TPTB that Sparky is the way to go. So sit back and enjoy the 366 stories coming your way!

Reunion

By Hannah554

Chapter 2

She wasn't sure how it was possible that she was now standing in her apartment on earth waiting for John to pick her up so they could go to her high school reunion. She'd been so sure it wouldn't happen, that there jobs would never allow for it but here she was. It was strange, it had looked like they wouldn't make it until the Friday morning, John had contacted someone – she was fairly sure it had been Jack – and then informed her she had a few hours to get what she needed before they were both going to earth for a couple of days.

There was a beep and Elizabeth hit the button for the apartment intercom, John's voice came through and she buzzed him up. Her nerves got just a little bit worse as she waited for him to come up the stairs. She'd developed a bad habit over the last few hours, smoothing down her dress and checking to make sure she looked okay. The Athosian that had made it for her had been a close friend of Teyla's and somehow she'd put the dress together in less than three days. It would be different from anyone else's that was for sure, the material itself was alien after all. The green fabric hugged her upper body tightly, held up by two thin straps over her shoulders; the Athosian woman had told her it would show off everything that made her a woman. The bottom was loose, flared out just the right amount to be perfect and the whole thing had some kind of gem stones in it, placed randomly throughout and making the dress almost seem to sparkle in places.

She'd tied her hair back, most of it anyway, there were a few loose strands that had refused to stay away from her face and she'd eventually given up and left them to it. Her jacket was hanging over the back of the couch, made of the same green fabric as her dress, it was small but it would cover her bare shoulders and arms. She was about to go and get it when there was a knock on the door and she turned around to open it and let John in.

He was standing there in his tux, looking unbelievably sexy and for once she didn't mind having thought that. His hair was the same unruly but somehow perfect mess that it always was and if she was honest she wouldn't want it any other way. He was just stood there staring at her with a slightly wide eyed expression, she forgot that John hadn't even seen the dress never mind seen her in it. She kind of hoped that the wide eyes were a good thing and not because she looked ridiculous, she hadn't even worn a dress this... extravagant to her prom.

"Does it look ridiculous?" she questioned trying to sound less insecure than she felt in that moment, a feeling she hated almost as much as the inferior one she was going to get when they got to the reunion. She was not an insecure person by any stretch but everyone had their thing, high school was hers.

"No," John managed to say. "You look... beautiful."

"Thanks," she said looking down and covering her small blush by going to get her jacket. John held out his arm for her and she accepted with a nervous smile.

"Relax," John instructed as they left the apartment and headed for his car. "Anyone that picks on you is getting shot."

"You did not bring your gun?" Elizabeth questioned incredulously though she appreciated the gesture.

"No, of course not, I'll just have to go find them later," he told her and she laughed as he opened the door of his car for her."Seriously stop worrying, it's gonna be a good night."

They were probably among the last to arrive and it took John a couple of circles around the car park to find a space. She jumped out of the car even before him and stared at the building with a distinct feeling of terror. They were all in there, the girls that had made her life hell, the boys that had been the first on the list of people willing to help them. She linked arms with John again as they walked to the building, they could hear the music as they stepped through the door, the first song played at their prom if she remembered correctly.

"I hate high school, I hate high school, I hate high school," she repeated to herself in whispers and felt John chuckle beside her.

"Elizabeth, you're not there anymore, you do realise that right?" he questioned and she turned to glare at him. "See just hit them with that, it ought to shut them up pretty quickly."

A young man came over and took her jacket to the cloak room, at least she hoped that was where he was taking it. She could see the party through the double doors in front of her, it looked like her prom all over again and that just made her not want to go in more. She took a deep breath though, kept her arm linked with John's and walked through the doors. The hall was huge, decorated with the same teenage sense of style their prom had been. The refreshments table was twice as long though and she made a note of the abundant amounts of alcohol not only there but at the bar, she might need that later.

"Elizabeth Weir?" a woman questioned as she approached. "I thought it was you, been a long time hasn't it."

"Hi Elsie," she replied remembering the awkward science club geek the woman had been in her high school days. A large frizzy hairstyle and the think glasses, the stereo-typical image of a geek, the woman looked different now. Straight blonde hair, probably contact lenses and a figure some women might kill for. "You look good."

"Thanks, so do you, and this is?" she questioned looking at John.

"John Sheppard, John this is Elsie," she introduced and the two shook hands, exchanging pleasantries.

"I guess you haven't seen them yet," Elsie stated there were no prizes for guessing who she was talking about. "They look like the same glamorous beauty queens they did in high school, three of them are married, in fact Nancy married Carl."

"Are you serious, those two were so off and on I thought the end of high school would be it," Elizabeth replied and Elsie nodded.

"Jodi is married to some salesman, Claire is on her second marriage and it's looking rocky. Then of course there's the queen bee herself, she's here with someone but I don't think they've been together long," Elsie told her and Elizabeth remembered the gossip lover she'd been even as a member of the science club, she'd known everything about everyone. "Oh there's Sharon, I'll catch up with you later."

"She seems nice," John stated as Elsie ran off to the brunette that had just wondered into her field of view.

"Science club, she was a bullying target too," Elizabeth told him and John nodded his head.

"Lizzie?" another voice questioned and Elizabeth resisted the urge to run away fast. She'd hated being called that since long before high school and only four girls had ever done it, at least with that annoying, mocking tone of voice. She turned around to see two faces that she would have loved to block out of her memory.

"Claire, Jodi," she greeted pasting on a smile that probably looked completely fake.

"Look at you, where'd you get the dress?" Claire questioned but never gave her a chance to answer. "So what have you been up to? I just came back from Hawaii as you can see; this is just a perfect tan. Alan paid of course; man can't help but treat me to wonderful things. Jodi's coming with me on my next cruise along with her husband, it should be real fun."

"I've been working for the government," she told them. "I've done a fair bit of travelling myself."

"Really, like where to?" Jodi questioned, "I toured the world last year, so I've probably been there."

"Erm," Elizabeth began pleading with her mind not to go blank on her now. "A lot of places, Russia, Middle East, France, England, a few other places."

"How interesting?" Jodi replied sounding like it was the exact opposite.

"Where are my manners, this is John by the way," she said pulling John into the conversation to try and shield herself as Nancy came to join the group. John was polite; he greeted them all and then excused them from the conversation. Elizabeth wished they'd just stayed where they were; it had to have been better than the consequences.

"Hello Lizzie," the tall blonde said as she stepped into her path. "Oh what was it we used to call you... Loser Lizzie that was it."

"Yes, Melissa, that was it, it's nice to see you too," Elizabeth said, repressing a sigh at the memory of the name, it usually proceeded seeing the bottom of a trashcan or having a sign stuck to her back or some other horrible thing. Melissa had been the queen bee, probably still was, she was beautiful and evil, guys had dropped at her feat and girls would have killed to be her friend.

"And who is this?" she questioned with a leering look at John.

"John Sheppard," he introduced himself and shook her hand, frowning when she held onto it a little longer than was necessary.

"Husband, I don't see a ring?" Mel questioned.

"No, he's not he's..." she began, trying not to roll her eyes at the man eater look on the former prom queen's face.

"Her boyfriend," John cut in surprising her as he put his arm around her shoulders. "Haven't been dating too long but we've been friends for years."

"Ah," Mel replied, same look on her face. "Such a shame but then nothing lasts forever does it."

"Elsie said you were here with someone," Elizabeth said, this time cutting in herself before Mel could start undressing her second in command with her eyes.

"Oh, Dylan's around here somewhere," she said with a glance around the room. "He owns his own business, makes a lot of money but I really don't see our relationship lasting, he's not my type. My type is usually a little more... experienced, I prefer the dark haired, muscular type."

Mel took a step closer to John as she made her not so subtle hint and Elizabeth was caught between the urge to slap her or run away and cry, clearly that one was still left over from her high school days when Mel had started dating the football player Elizabeth had a crush on. He'd been out of her league but that hadn't stopped her from being gutted, nor had it stopped Mel from rubbing it in her face once the evil teen had found out about Elizabeth's crush on him.

"Well, it was nice to meet you Mel but Elizabeth and I love this song so if you'll excuse us..." John said as he guided Elizabeth toward the dance floor.

"I'm sure we'll talk again soon, in fact you can count on it," Mel said as John and Elizabeth walked away.

"That is one scary woman," John stated as he put his arms around Elizabeth's waist. "For a second I was scared she might actually eat me."

TBC