So when I started writing this, I forgot how short, time wise, that Season Five was, so I thought there was more time, so just for the sake of my sanity, we're gonna go with: "Search and Rescue" happened in the middle of July, and "Enemy at the Gate" happened in late March-ish. Sorry for the confusion!

She couldn't sleep.

John was having a boy's night with Rodney, and with all the stress that they both had been barely tolerating lately, she didn't want to make him feel worse. So even though she was having a sleepless night, due to the baby growing within her, she didn't bother John, instead choosing to stroll through the city. Wandering the halls, she ran into Teyla in a corridor leading out into one of the far corners of the city. "Teyla! And Torren, hi! How are you?"

Teyla smiled while looking to the squirming baby in her arms. "I am fine. Torren, on the other hand, has been colicky lately. I find that walking him around the city helps calm him down."

Elizabeth smiled. The two leaders had bonded more since the birth of the Athosian's son, and the news of the impending birth of John and Elizabeth's child. Everybody called it the baby. She wanted to be surprised, and told Carson and Jennifer strictly to not tell anyone the gender of their child. John kept referring to it as "the kid" or, when he wanted to make her grumble, would call it a boy.

"Do you mind if I walk with you? The little one is kicking and I haven't been able to get much rest laying down."

"Of course! I would love some mature conversation. Torren will look like he understands me, but it just isn't the same without Kanaan right now."

So the mother and mother-to-be made their way down the corridor out into Atlantis.

In the east pier, said boy's night was taking place in the form of remote controlled car racing. John pushed his red car as best he could, competing against McKay's yellow one.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Rodney lied in his usual tone. "Too fast for you, buddy boy?"

Sheppard smirked. "Nursing home just called, Rodney, and they want their scooter back."

McKay's voice sounded insulted and aged. "Scooter? That is a tri-cell lipo pack under my hood, son."

John sharply turned his car, forcing Rodney's into the wall, then left him behind.

"Hey!"

"Ooh, sorry. My bad."

The cars reached the barrel and started back towards their owners, oblivious to the insults being thrown back and forth.

John was smirking all the while. He needed a break. He was amazed Elizabeth hadn't even said anything about him taking off with Rodney. But as the due date started to close in, they both sensed the others' needs, knowing when to speak, when to shut up, when to argue, and when to kiss. He laughed inwardly as his attention stayed on the race.

"Okay, yeah, I will trample you."

"Or trip on your skirt."

Right then, the men saw two and a half people step in front of the cars. They both shrieked, Teyla keeping a tight grip on her son as she and Elizabeth hugged the wall.

"John Sheppard!" Elizabeth scolded as the two men shut off their cars and ran to the women.

"Whoa! You okay?" he asked, glancing between them, throwing a worried look at his wife.

Teyla narrowed her eyes. "I could have dropped him!" she rebuked in a hushed tone.

"Sorry, we didn't know anyone was around. Sure you're all right?" John apologized and asked simultaneously.

Rodney cocked his head. "Come to think of it, what are you two doing down here anyway?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I was up walking, and I ran into Teyla," the colonel's wife replied, a weary smile on her face.

Teyla nodded in agreement. "Trying to get Torren to sleep. I find that walking him is the best way to calm him."

Rodney looked at Teyla's son, gurgling. "Ooh, he's colicky, huh?"

"Eh, Doctor Keller says it is a phase that will pass," the tired mother told them.

McKay waved a hand. "Oh, don't worry about it. I was a colicky baby too. Just do what my mom did, which is let me cry myself to sleep. I'm no worse for it."

John, Elizabeth, and Teyla exchanged amused glances. John swore that if Torren had been awake, even he would have looked like he was laughing inside as well.

"Anyway," Teyla continued, "we usually take turns walking him, but Kanaan is away visiting our people for a few days."

John looked back at Torren, resting comfortably in Teyla's arms. "I … I'd help you out, but between you and Elizabeth, it looks like you've got everything taken care of."

"Yes," Teyla nodded. "Now, all I have to do is get him back to our quarters without waking him … or being run over," she said, starting to back up to the corridor she came from.

Sheepishly, Rodney told her, "Yeah, well, you know, we're done here. We're just … you know … finishing up."

"You mind if I stick around to congratulate the winner?" Elizabeth asked her companion, glancing at her husband with an amused smile.

"Not at all. Good night, Elizabeth, John, Rodney," she said, leaving them.

Rodney quirked an eyebrow. "What … what does that mean?"

John and Rodney looked at each other, then started up their cars again.

"Go, go, go, go, go…"

Elizabeth awoke with a shuddered gasp, eyes quickly adjusting to the black in her quarters as the memories from the city's latest incident flashed through her mind. She saw a bit of moonlight streaming in through the window as a strong arm protectively tightened around her.

"Ya okay?" a sleepy voice asked behind her in concern.

She nodded, more to convince John than anything.

He kissed her neck, and his arms wrapped around her even more. "What's wrong?"

She sighed. "Just a bad dream," she replied quietly.

She heard a "hmm", then closed her eyes again. "You've been having a lot of those lately," John mentioned in slight worry.

"Yeah. I think it's because of the baby."

"Yeah, pregnancy does all kind of stuff to you," he noticed, pulling the covers up to cover their shoulders.

Elizabeth moaned. "Yeah, it makes you want to tell your husband not to go on any more missions."

Behind her, John kissed her neck again. She could feel the slight stubble as he spoke. "'Lizbeth, it's been a long night. Can we talk in the morning?"

"John-"

"Honey, Keller told you to get eight hours of sleep, or you couldn't report for work. C'mon, now is the time to take care of yourself. And I'm gonna make sure that you do."

She groaned in frustration. "Fine. But we're still going to discuss this."

"In the morning. Right after breakfast."

Elizabeth didn't say anything else. She just closed her eyes and waited for sleep to overtake her.

The day passed uneventfully. John got called away to deal with something in one of the labs during breakfast, thereby squashing any chance of the conversation he promised his wife. That evening, Elizabeth was sitting behind her desk, rubbing her belly bump while reviewing her files. John smirked as he walked in. Solitaire, files, they all looked the same after twelve hours.

"Hey," he announced as he walked in slowly, edging towards his spot on her desk.

She glanced up, a smile trying to show through all the anxiety on her face. "Hey yourself. I assume you've come to steal me for dinner?"

He made a slight face. "Eeh, not really. Rodney and I have a racing game to finish up, and I thought afterwards, we could have a private dinner. Meet me on the balcony, eight o'clock?"

She nodded. "All right."

John's face lit up in his trademark smirk. "Good." He leaned off the edge of the desk to kiss her cheek, then stood and was almost out of the room when-

"Actually, John, there's something else we need to discuss."

"So close," he whispered through gritted teeth.

He turned back around and walked next to her, sitting down on the desk again. "Okay. What are we gonna do, 'Lizbeth? I'm the ranking military officer in the city, And the leader of the flagship team. I can't sit on my butt for the next nine weeks. I can't go on maternity leave with you."

"I'm not asking you to," she replied simply.

His eyebrows arched upwards. "Really? Cause that's the impression I've been getting from you."

"John, you were hanging from an awning. Michael could've easily killed you if Teyla hadn't been there."

"But she was there."

"But she won't always be. Or Ronon, or Rodney, or even Lorne. I know it goes against everything you believe in, but is it possible, for the next nine weeks, but you can take the easy road out? Remember, you don't have only a wife waiting at home for you anymore," she reminded him softly, eyes falling over her desk.

He sighed. "Elizabeth…" He reached over and cupped her cheek, forcing her eyes back into direct contact with his. He leaned in and kissed her warmly. "Knowing that I have two people waiting for me is what gets me home from all the missions. And yeah, I'm still a little reckless."

"A little?" she asked, a chuckle disappearing as quickly as it appeared.

"Okay. A lot. I'll stop being so … what's the word?"

"Crazy?"

"Yeah, good word, let's go with that."

She laughed. "You understand what I mean, don't you?"

"Yeah. I do."

"All right. Go have fun, I'll see you at eight."

"Love you," he said, kissing her again.

"I love you, too," she replied, grinning as he stood up. She watched his cute, tight butt leave her office, and suddenly wondered where that came from.

Ronan passed John on the walkway.

"Doctor Weir? Got a minute?"

"Sure, Ronan, what's on your mind?"

"Not much. Umm, I know Michael attacking the city isn't really a mission, but, uh … I filed a report anyway." He handed her the Dictaphone that she had given him before Michael invaded Atlantis, and she eyed it with slight surprise.

"Thank you, Ronan. I appreciate it."

He nodded. "Yep. Well, good night."

"Night, Ronan," she said to the tall retreating figure.

She looked at it for another moment, then decided to listen to finish her day out.

"Mission report … Michael invaded Atlantis—tried to blow it up. We stopped him. End of report."

Elizabeth chuckled. Short, simple, to the point. That was Ronan in a nutshell.

She laid it on her desk to transcribe in the morning, then shut her light off and left the office.

TBC ...