Date : 22.09.2009

Title : The Fate Series : Part 1 - A Touch of Fate

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 11 of ?

Rating : M

Pairings : Lt. Colonel John Sheppard/OC

Major Evan Lorne/OC

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Angst, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Lorne, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Lexi Roberts was created by Soccer-Bitch. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

Summary : AU : Lorne is gone for good this time and Ellie must move on with her life. There'll be no second chances this time, no way around them being parted…or is there…and is that what Ellie and Lorne for that matter, really wants?

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A/N : My O/C's are in this story quite predominantly at one point and I do apologise for that, but I felt it necessary for the series to work. Hopefully though, you'll like them enough to continue to read on and enjoy what they're getting up to! There are of course all the old favourites in here and a newbie or two…oh and remember…forget the Ellie and Lorne's of the past, this is another AU

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Ellie looked at Statham once he stopped dragging her away from the Jumper that belonged to the 'other' Lorne.

"What's wrong?" she asked as he ran a hand over his face in an agitated fashion.

"Ellie, you cant go offering to take this guy back to Atlantis like you just did…Woolsey could say it's a no go…or Sheppard…" he trailed off as he saw the look on her face.

"Look…I know he looks like Lorne…but he isn't…" he stopped as Ellie made a strange noise in the back of her throat.

"You think I want to take him back to Atlantis because he 'looks' like Evan?" she asked, sounding hurt and incredulous.

"I know you miss him still," Statham said, unable to keep the defensive tone out of his own voice and it forced Ellie to look away from him.

"I realise that he isn't 'my' Evan…but what would you have us do Frank, leave him here alone?" she asked and Statham sighed deeply as she added, "He's lost everyone…"

"Damn it Ellie I don't know…I'll need to run this by Woolsey like I said," he replied, his tone gentler now and Ellie folded her arms across her chest, nodding but still avoiding his eyes.

"Do you…I mean…are you really alright with this?" Statham asked, "I realise it must be hard seeing him again…"

"Well, like you said, it's not 'him' though is it," Ellie replied stiffly and when Statham sighed again she added, "and I'm fine. It was just a shock seeing him, it just…well, it was hard, but hey, parallel universes are a hazard of the job right."

Statham reached out tentatively and cupped her cheek and finally she met his eyes and he thought that it was a pity that he couldn't read what he saw in hers.

"I'll head back to the gate and radio Atlantis, you stay here with Lyssa and Franks and…our friend there," he said and she nodded, watching as he headed away.

oooooo

When Ellie and Statham had gone outside, Lyssa and Franks had stood awkwardly for a moment until Lorne had said,

"So…earlier, when you said that I was her problem," and he indicated toward Ellie with his head, "what did you mean by that?"

Lyssa looked at Ellie and Statham for a moment before turning back to Lorne.

"She and our you were married. Around a year ago, you…he…was killed by the Wraith. Ellie is really only just getting herself together," she replied and Lorne raised his eyebrows and shook his head lightly, looking back out toward Ellie.

"So the other me and her…they were happy?" he asked and Lyssa frowned at the question.

"Very much so, they adored one another," she replied and Lt. Franks chuckled.

"Yeah, I used to wind Major Lorne up saying that they made the cutest couple, but really he didn't care what people thought, he loved her with everything he had…" he trailed off, also looking out toward Ellie where Statham was just cupping her face with his hand.

"Its bizarre Y'know," Lorne said, almost to himself. "My Ellie and I were married too for a while, but we ended up getting divorced. She drove me insane and I…I realised that scientists and I just don't mix."

Franks and Lyssa stared at him as though he had suddenly sprouted wings and tried to fly away.

Eventually Franks found his voice first and said, "So after you and the Doc divorced, did you start to see anyone else?" he just couldn't imagine Lorne with anyone but Ellie.

Lorne suddenly looked uncomfortable and he shifted in his seat as he cleared his throat.

"Actually yeah…my Lyssa and I had been dating for a couple of months when this happened…" he trailed off as the pain of losing her and everyone else threatened to devour him again and he sucked in a breath of air.

Lyssa had gone white and she turned away as Ellie began to head back toward the Jumper.

ooo

Ellie stepped back up the ramp of the Jumper and sensed the tension right away.

"Everything alright?" she asked.

"Everything's just peachy," Franks replied, sounding overly cheerful even to his own ears, but he kept a smile plastered to his face as Ellie frowned up at him.

"Um, Frank has gone to radio Atlantis to tell them about you and to see what they say," she said, looking at Lorne and he nodded at her.

"Right…thank you," he replied and she forced herself to drag her eyes away from him, scared by the effort it took though.

After a few moments silence, Lorne said, "So…Frank…" he began and Lyssa interjected,

"Major Statham…"

"Major Statham," Lorne corrected before continuing, "He is the other me's replacement…you are SGA-2 I take it?"

Ellie wanted to say that Evan couldn't be replaced, but logically she knew what he meant and so she replied,

"That's right and yes, we are SGA-2. Were you the leader of your SGA-2?"

"Yeah…I was," he said, smiling as though reliving good times in his head.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Ellie said quietly and he looked at her.

"And I'm sorry for yours…"

Ellie blanched a little as she realised that Lyssa or Franks must have told him about Evan, but she kept her composure and managed a,

"Thank you."

Lorne nodded, his eyes straying to Lyssa who was showing a great deal of fascination with her P-90.

Ellie followed his line of vision and said,

"Lyssa…are you alright?"

Lyssa forced a smile for her friend and replied, "Yep, I'm good…just wanting to get back to Atlantis now…" she replied and Ellie nodded, thinking that Lyssa was acting a little off, but she reasoned that seeing Lorne again wouldn't just be a shock for her, but to others who had known and liked him too.

"You sure you want to come back to our Atlantis with us...if we get the go ahead that is?" Franks asked and both Ellie and Lyssa held their breath, but for different reasons, as they waited for Lorne's response.

Lorne raked a hand through his hair as he considered his options. He could stay on this planet, alone and fending for himself or he could go back with these people who looked so much like the people he longed to see again and try to build some kind of future with them.

"I think i'd like to give it a go, yes," he replied eventually and whilst Ellie visibly relaxed, Lyssa tensed up even further.

She knew that when Ellie found out that this Lorne had been dating his Lyssa, it would upset her and she just felt that the whole idea of taking him back to Atlantis was a bad one and could really lead to no good. She hoped that she was wrong, for everyone's sake.

ooooooooo

"Are you kidding me...another Lorne...is Ellie alright?" Sheppard asked after Statham had relayed what had happened.

"She's holding her own for now, but i'm not so sure that it's a good idea we bring him back Sir, I just...I know its what she wants, to save this Lorne...but..." he trailed off, knowing that he was letting his own growing feelings for Ellie interfere with his judgement on rescuing this 'stranger'.

He heard Sheppard sigh and then Woolsey's voice came through.

"I understand where you're coming from Major, but it could be useful to know how the Genii tricked them in such a spectacular fashion. We dont want the same thing to happen to us do we..." he said and Statham cursed under his breath.

Sheppard sighed again and said,

"Bring him back, put him straight in one of the Brig interview rooms and we'll take it from there."

"Sir," Statham said to show he'd heard the command before cutting the connection and heading back to the hidden Jumper with a heavy heart.

ooooooooo

As Statham approached the back of the Jumper, everyone looked in his direction as he said,

"Okay, we have a go..."

Ellie blew out a breath and said, "Woolsey agreed then?"

"Yeah, they're interested in knowing what happened with the Genii," Statham replied, looking to Lorne he said, "You got any stuff you want to take with you?"

Lorne stood and said, "Not really, but the ammo may come in useful if you want it..."

"No point in leaving it for someone else to find it," Statham said, then looking to Ellie, Lyssa and Franks instructed, "Grab all you can carry."

As they did as they were told, grabbing what ammo he had in the Jumper Lorne said,

"I have more weapons and ammo buried in another spot in the forest..."

Statham shook his head, "I'll get another team sent back for that, you can draw them a map..."

Lorne nodded tightly, sensing that Major Statham wasn't overly keen on the plan to take him back to Atlantis with them and he wondered if it had anything to do with Ellie.

"Alright, everyone ready?" Statham asked, glancing around and when they all mumbled their agreement, he led the way out of the jumper.

"Franks you lead the way, I'll bring up the rear, rest of you in the middle," he said, his tone brooking no argument.

As they headed back to the gate they were all thinking the same thing, that fate was a very strange thing indeed.

End of Chapter 11