Warning this chapter turned out to be pretty fricking long I hope you enjoy anyway!
Also there may be triggering content in this chapter religious talk and mentions of terrorism (since this is an alternate timeline Elizabeth's backstory is much different then what one would expect)...you have been warned.
Also I have yet to have some comments on this story I would love to hear what you guys think!
Taking Your Wings and Learning to Fly
Thomas must have fallen asleep on the chair he was sitting for how long, he was not quite sure. But it wasn't the first time he had fallen asleep sitting up. Whether it be writing one of his stories or philosophy books or looking over papers. He did it often. But when he woke up John wasn't there….it was someone else.
He was wearing a blue t-shirt, black loose pants and boots. He had the typical English appearance. He had fair skin, blondish brown and very striking blue eyes. He couldn't help but gaze intently into them. He was handsome. But Thomas brushed it off. He was used to having some devious thoughts where his eyes wandered to men from time to time but he brushed them off quickly.
Instead he distracted himself by rising to his feet and stretching, straining out the sore muscles bunched up by his awkward position.
"Ah you're up," The man said slowly rising to his feet, "Major Sheppard had to speak with Doctor Weir over some matter. Probably shagging on her desk….we've been in this city for what not even one week and he already is giving her a lovey dovey look."
Thomas couldn't help but smirk.
"I thought I was the only one who thought so." He responded.
The stranger laughed.
"Please it is too obvious for words," He said, he was a talker Thomas could tell that already. Not that he minded. He loved a man who had a voice and a lot to say. After all men like that, Thomas thought were the most enjoyable. "Anyway the major gave me an order to be your babysitter even though, well he's your descendant, anyway forgive I tend to ramble often that I forget to introduce myself." He let out a hand and offered it for him to shake. "Dr. Rodney McKay. Physicist and head of the science Department of Atlantis."
When I took Rodney's hand, something strange had happened. His hand was strong and firm just the way I liked it. It told me when man shook my hand like that he was strong and he was confident. It was the best way to describe Rodney. Despite his world at times would go to shit he would still remain tall and firmly planted on his feet. It was what drawn me to him. Well that and his eyes. They were so beautifully blue….just like Katherine's.
I do admit Rodney McKay was not the first man I fell in love with but I knew he would be the last. We fit just perfectly.
It was wrong and it was sinful….and the fact I would later learn men were free to sleep with men and women with women, made it so hard to resist. It would be a temptation harder to fight than I did with Katherine. But it wasn't going to go away no way in heaven and no way in hell. I was….how should I put it stuck. And as time went on. I found myself trapped in his love.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Doctor McKay," Thomas said with a grin still staring directly into the other man's eyes. "McKay…..is that Irish?" He paused tilting his head to the side. "Because the name does have a Gaelic meaning….son of Kay I believe."
"You definitely know your Irish stuff," Rodney said with glee, "but while my Dad was born in Ireland but emigrated to Canada when he was about seven years old."
"Canada?" Thomas asked tilting his head, "I never heard of such of place."
One of the wondrous things about this world is because of the advancement of navigation, like ships, boats and planes they were able to go to foreign places. When I was back in England they were already touching lands across the sea. But never did I believe it would expand into new countries and territories with different governments.
"It's one of the many countries created long after you left Tudor England to our lovely little city," Rodney said, "the French owned it, then English, well the English still kind of still monarch figure head in place, but now we have our own government. Thanks to your Utopia there are many different government systems out there besides the monarch that has reduced Kings and Queens to simple show figure heads."
Thomas was shocked. Utopia his Utopia? Something he just wrote for fun whilst being kept up all night as brand father, became THE basis for many government systems out there? It was very incredible! While he was proud of it, he never expected it to be so important almost half a millennium later. He wondered what other of his works made such an impact on this modern society.
"I can't believe it," Thomas said in shock. "Anything thing else I should know Doctor McKay?"
"Well," Rodney said, "I would tell you here but I am hypoglycemic, which is a medical term for if I don't eat I am going to faint and if I faint in Major Sheppard's room he is not going to be happy. So why don't we discuss this more in the Cafeteria."
The more minutes that passed I stayed here, the more I began to love this place. Back in Tudor England I was not able to be myself. I felt like I was nitpicked by everything I did was different from them from what I ate to how I behaved. I never wore any bright elaborate clothing. I liked it to be more simple a common Humanist train of thought. People mocked me and said I was in mourning.
I was mourning the loss of having no ounce of fun I had in my life or the fact I didn't bed the beauties in court they often had said. But I would have to walk with my head up high and pretend that it didn't affect me. It did. For most part I got used to mocks. I got it from my own father when he would beat me and call me pathetic. But sometimes the mocking got so intense that I had to bring myself out of the situation and let myself weep in private.
The fact that I was able to mention I only strictly ate vegetables and have the servers give it to me without even mocking me was amazing. But there was more. As we sat and ate together Rodney told me about this new world I have randomly found myself in. Music was able to be recorded through a system and you don't have to hear it once. You could hear it over and over again. Instruments were made to make music sound very different. Instead of writing for hours with a quill and cramping your hand, you would type it on this thing called a keyboard and you would be able to store it. There was no mess no paper to organize. Just something left in system you can find so easily. The best of all he showed me through his laptop...that pictures could move and make noise.
"There's something else," Rodney said taking a sip of his coffee before passing it over to Thomas, "by the way taste this is the fucking Nectar of the gods."
Thomas nodded his head and brought the warm mug to his lips. The smell was strong, and the taste was creamy and strong but sweet and somewhat amazing. He nodded his head in approval.
Of course on a side note, that taste of coffee...was certainly not my last I would become addicted to it as if it were a nice glass of Ale.
"Well glad you liked that," Rodney said tilting his head, "anyway, Sheppard said you came from a different timeline which sounds believable because nothing catastrophic happened like we woke up and we were ruled by apes because you were here for a couple of hours." Thomas hummed it explained why John acted so strange, not that it mattered. Despite Harry released him from the Tower after pardoning him for his crimes...he knew there would be no way he would go back there, not with all the painful memories that inhabited his mind from being in there. He would be a different man and the members of court would have hated even more because he was simply let off on a crime he was supposed to be punished for. A crime that was punishable by death. So he was at peace of never going home again and staying in this world just for that very aspect alone.
"Apparently something happened where you disappeared for like ten months." Rodney said, "it was like a Richey Edwards disappearing act it was a big ass mystery. Except unlike Mr. Edwards you actually ya know came back home. But whatever happened must have been traumatic you became an atheist and declared that god was a cruel ass bastard and never went to church again. Historians are still trying to figure out what happened during those lovely mystery ten months...but to get back on point the benefit of that was that the burning of Protestant death toll went down significantly until Mary I the first took the throne."
I always knew I was from an alternate timeline as terrifying as it sounded because as I learned more about the dynamics of time and space it sounded terrifying I accidently traveled through dimensions to get here. I did often ask John what did happen to me in that alternate reality. But he never answered must have as Rodney said traumatic and very, very life altering to the point where I gave up my faith.
"So you are asking me if this version of myself tolerates protestants." Thomas asked lifting up a grape and taking a bite of it. Wow it tasted wonderfully sweet. Better than the fruit that was imported from Erasmus' home country of Grecee
"Well," Rodney began. He was slowly twiddling his on the table a bit nervously. Already Thomas can tell he was nervous about something. Rodney so far he was very talkative to him. Certainly he was was the most verbose fellow he had ever came across. But now he was quiet. He was obviously hesitating to say something. Finally he took a nice deep breath and looked Thomas directly in the eyes. "This world is different, not only most countries a free democracy where they choose their leaders and laws..." This also had Thomas intrigue. So they can choose the leader they wanted and if they didn't like them they could just...vote them off? Interesting! He wanted to know more when Rodney finished telling him what he had to say. "Not only that...they are free to speak what they want, when they want without the threat of execution...this includes...religions. Umm...well there is no easy way to say this...because it could go either way depending if you are like your alternate timeline self...I'm." He paused to gulp, "Well not only is Sheppard descended from someone from your time who was a King's servant...I am too...I believe you know a Thomas Cromwell Perhaps?"
Thomas' eyes widened.
"That means..." Thomas said knitting his brow, "you're protestant!"
Rodney bit his lip and nodded his head.
"Actually I'm Lutheran there's a difference," He said trying to salvage the situation, "There are many different catholic sects out there...but, but we still believe in the savior!"
Thomas rose to his feet abruptly. The whole room gasped and turned their heads trying to figure out what in the world was going on over here. One moment they were two men having a friendly chat and now all of a sudden things were tense between them.
"Look we' were chatting nicely and we were friends don't let religion get in the way of that," Rodney said biting his lip. Suddenly Thomas slammed his hands on the table and growled.
"Not only are you a heretic..." He began curling his hands into fists, "but you are related to that greedy, scheming spineless snake."
"OH GOD DON'T KILL ME!" Rodney cried.
Thomas leaned forward causing Rodney to sink back. Their faces were so close that their noses were actually touching it was a long silent and agonizing moment as Rodney slammed his eyes shut and then. Thomas began to chuckle. The scientist opened his eyes as he saw the other man slowly sat down in his seat and began to peel the orange with his fingernails.
"Oh...good joke," Rodney said folding his arms. The spectators were now chuckling as they went back to their respected meals and conversation, "do you always do that when people ask you if you hate anyone who thinks the Pope is nothing but an old figure head."
"Well," Thomas said taking out the plastic knife and gingerly cut the oranges into slices, "after hearing those horrible rumors about me when I was Lord Chancellor, that I, had a dungeon in my basement and tortured Heretics on a daily basis...I kinda thought I would make a joke of the rumor and pretend it was actually true."
"So you didn't burn those six heretics then?" Rodney said tilted his head.
"I did," Thomas said causing Rodney to bite his lip at the thought of those men burning, how they must have suffered. It was probably a very nasty way to go. "but...well, someone convinced me not to do that anymore. It was the most unlikely source...a good man, a statesmen a diligent servant of the king. I think you know him."
"So it looks like my Gramps helped you with that." Rodney said with a grin, "What he do?"
"We just had dinner one night just the two of us," He responded taking a bite of the orange, "we had great philosophical conversations...but he made me realized that...even we had different ways believing it...but in the end we have the same exact origin and the same exact savior. I should show them the same respect...even if I did find it to be a disservice against god's word." He looked down and sighed, "Thomas Cromwell was one of the people who helped save my life when I was sentenced to death in as you call my timeline...when Katherine came up with the proposition to accept the divorce as long as she settles down with a suitor of her choosing and reinstate Mary in the line of the throne...he risked his head and fought tirelessly to get Harry that I should be released and be Katherine's suitor." Thomas paused and shook his head, "Thomas Cromwell had saved my life but he will never ever know how much I appreciate him for his sacrifice."
Rodney placed his hand over Thomas' and gave it a very comforting squeeze. He couldn't help but look down. His hand was a bit larger than the scientist and calloused from years of writing with his quill. But their hands together fit perfectly; it was if it told him that Rodney was his better half.
From Rodney's words it told them men were allowed to practice what they wanted and had the freedom to do what they wanted as well. He wondered if Homosexuality was one of those many new freedoms he could muster. No he doubted it as he looked around though as told by Rodney these people had just met merely days ago. Men were flirting and being affectionate to women nothing more.
Besides Thomas knew well...what he was feeling about this stranger he only recently met...was a sin. And after having premarital sex with Katherine hours after he gotten out of the tower. He knew he couldn't commit another one anytime soon. It probably...Thomas knew himself. When he had these fleeting thoughts he would will them to go away...and they often did. This was no exception.
"I think he already knows," Rodney said, "and probably appreciates that you appreciate him you know helping you all those years ago."
Thomas slowly took his hand away and shyly put it back on lap.
"Well if you think so," He said finishing up his orange, "I believe you."
Rodney was about to open his mouth to speak when he heard that little muffled voice. The younger man made a deep sigh and rolled his eyes. He seemed a bit annoyed.
"What," He said to the little thing in his ear, the little voice spoke again, "really, I spend a leisure breakfast with our guest and you already having problems hell we haven't even been in here for two days." He groaned and rolled his eyes, "alright, alright, I'll be there in two seconds...just don't fuck it up further." He sighed and looked at Thomas, "I hate to do this to you when we having such a nice time...but there's a problem in the lab...how about if lover boy is still with Doctor Weir...you and I continue our conversation at dinner." Thomas smiled and didn't even hesitate to answer his question. Even though their time together was brief and he was of course fighting off feelings he shouldn't be having, he was intrigued by the other man. Maybe because so far besides John his descendant, he felt the most connected him. It was like when he met Erasmus, he already knew they were going to have a lifelong bond.
"I am looking forward to it," Thomas said with a very sincere grin.
And with that Rodney walked off with the tray in his hands.
It was a rather hard adjustment but I seemed to quickly adjust myself into life on Atlantis. The first few nights I slept in John's room. He understood that I had to get used to the future and the lifestyles that had came with it, but I used this time to get to know my descendant. Who seemed to be more like me the more I got to know him.
In case you were wondering, no I didn't spend my days wandering around the large city aimlessly. It was too large and I could get lost easily. No my days were doing what I loved to do had I not been busy being the king's servant. And that was learning. My second night on Atlantis John told me he wanted me to be a part of his team because of my skills as a diplomat. As I was told there was there were many alien cultures in what they called the Pegasus galaxy and as they were cut off from earth they had to learn depend on the outside the cultures for supplies when they would eventually on their own.
I was very excited and eager to go out of the city and into the universe. Us according to John...in order for Doctor Weir to clear me for duty...I had to train. I had no idea about technology...how to use a weapon that could not be functional unless I pulled a trigger and how to fight. Rodney and John took turns teaching something else. Rodney taught me all about computers and the ancient technology. John taught me military tactic. Each day I learned another of many different tactics.
Soon I was sharper faster and knew how to use a gun... And the one day...John and Rodney decided to teach me flying. Since flying what was called a puddle jumper required the use of knowing about the ancient technology and knowing how to fly. See some of the technology on Atlantis didn't work without having this special gene. A Gene I learned is a biological trait that distinguish your abilities, the way your body functions and your appearance. The ancients as they called them taught the city only to sync with them so they could prevent all enemies into coming into the city and taking over.
Because John and I's bloodline comes from one of these ancients we were able to control this technology. John and I however as pointed out by Rodney had a special form of the Gene that distinguished us from other's with this Gene is we were naturally able to control technology as soon as the thought of getting this certain once of technology to work.
Despite this, I never drove the large metal carriages they called cars, I had no idea how to fly a plane. John was an expert so he was a perfect partner to teach me his skills. I had to admit when I first began to learn...it was a bit terrifying.
"Are you sure you want to teach me," Thomas said with his hands with hands on the Puddle Jumper console. He was still astonished that these things were able to come on their own immediately because of the blood that had ran through his veins.
"I mean I am only just learning how to fly."
"Gramps flying this thing is way different from flying a regular old plane," John said, "see when I had this type of thing when I joined the air force I would have been happy. I mean when I first started training to spend months learning the little gadgets before I FINALLY got my plane into the air. This thing you just got to learn how to think and concentrate what is ahead of you considering you are a philosopher and a writer, I believe you can do that pretty well...I doubt I can say the same for Doctor McKay over here."
"Oh ha, ha," Rodney said, "man trips over a log while rambling during an off world mission and he never sees the end of it."
"If it makes you feel better I have gotten into plenty of accidents in my day that got me a lot of mocks in court," Thomas responded trying to make Rodney feel better.
After all Thomas knew well what it was like into an incident. It was always burned clearly in his mind how Harry sent him to quell the evil May Day riots. Now one of the things his father failed to teach him was how to ride a horse. So had to learn as he went when he first became sheriff. To make a long a story short, Thomas made a long and impassionate speech about how the rioters should calm themselves rather than destroying London property and getting into trouble with the king. Yet he made one false move that spooked the horse. Not only did he fall and sported a cane for the next couple of weeks, he managed to make the riots even worse. Ever since then he got butt nothing but taunts from the courts
"Thanks Socrates," Rodney said, between Gramps as John called him and Rodney's reference to one of one of the greatest Greek philosophers the world has EVER known, he was beginning to like his nicknames here better than those at the Tudor court. "I will remember that Man of All Seasons was at times unsteady at his feet at times as well next time I become a klutz and embarrass myself in front of everyone on Atlantis."
"Alright guys," John said laughing, "now's not the time for manly bonding, next time I get into an incident with one of those creepy bugs we encountered I want to be able to be secure and know that someone would be able to take my place with someone who knows what to do."
Thomas cringed. One of his first days here...John and his team almost died while going a mission to another planet. He didn't know the details But there was this creature...they called the wraith. In his world they were known as ghosts, but in their world they were known as creatures that began to suck the life out of their victims by a single touch to their chest. As a man who feared being in pain he couldn't imagine the endurable agony the victim had to face.
John had confided to him one night that he had to shoot his superior officer to end his misery. Thomas knew the poor man blamed himself for it.
They decided to go back to the planet which the wraith were on. Thomas had spent the day staying in and perfecting his art of using a computer by typing up any philosophical ideas he had been having thanks to his arrival instead of using a quill. He had to admit it was much easier and didn't hurt his hands. In fact he had no idea what was going on until Rodney explained the situation.
Whilst they were on the planet (The fact they were able to do that by simply dialing an address on a large gate fascinated Thomas to no end. He hated traveling by sea. If they had that where he was from he would be happy) the wraith had attacked them. While running an insect creature latched itself onto John's neck and stayed. It was like a wraith, had it stayed it would have drained John of life slowly until it killed him. To make matters worse while the major was incapacitated…..the jumper got stuck between an open gate. A deadly situation because one half couldn't go through because it needed the rest of the ship to go through and the other half was at risk of breaking off into space and the members inside would die from lack of oxygen. Thomas was rather upset….then again….he often elected to stay in his room…..or it could have been that he was known to worry himself into a tizzy when his children or his surrogate children found themselves in peril.
It made him wonder if he could handle it next time John found himself injured and in peril.
"Ya alright there gramps?" John said tilting his head and interrupting him from his thoughts.
"Yes, yes," Thomas said, "just thinking alright so what do I do?"
"Well as I said this is much easier than flying a typical plane," John said folding his hands over his lap. "You don't need to push any buttons and multitask. But the first thing you need to do is place your hands on those two rods in front of you."
Thomas looked at the two rods ahead of him. He was hesitant for a moment. Since his gene was more proficient than the others he knew there was a strong possibility that touching them would be a bad idea. But John seemed to put his faith in him, he couldn't let him down. After all he and Rodney wouldn't be in here if they didn't trust them. Thomas wrapped his hands around the bars and already everything had lit up and the engines hummed behind him.
"It's supposed to do that right," Thomas said as John nodded his head gently, "right since I have the gene, now how do I get this thing in the-"
Thomas felt the ground rumble beneath him. Soon he felt a pressure in his chest as if his heart and his lungs were sinking into his stomach.
"What is happening?" He said in alarm.
"The jumper is taking off you are fine," Rodney said as he looked down at his tablet. He must have been calculating the speed of the jumper. "Just slow down...I am not dying in a fiery explosion."
"Dr. McKay," John grumbled as the plane kept rising.
Thomas looked ahead of him. Quickly everything changed, much faster than looking out the window of a carriage. Soon the dark gloomy underworld of the puddle jumper storage room as John had called it...changed to light as the puddle jumper made its way outside and into the sun.
"Amazing," Thomas said.
"I think we're at an appropriate height," John had said as the walls of the city had completely disappeared and the only thing left was the sight of an endless mixture of blue. There was a clear light blue in the sky sprinkled with white puffy clouds, and the ocean was blue and sun rays reflected off the waves making it seem like there were diamonds thrown into the sea and were sparkling in the sunlight. "Now just think the plane to go straight and it will just go in that direction."
Thomas nodded his head and no longer did he feel the pressure in his chest but instead, the jumper felt steady. He looked ahead at the horizon. The view in front of him, he reminded him a lot of the view he would see when he traveled from country to country on a diplomatic mission.
He would often take a look over the horizon. The path was usually clear and no land in sight. He was amazed that the sky would sink into the ground. The best was when the sun would set. Thomas would watch as the sun would sink into the ocean yet it would rise in the morning still burning as brightly as it did during the day.
He often wondered where the sun would go. Would it hide underground? He would later learn that the sun always remained in its proper place it was just that the world was rotating around it. It was the very same reason of the seasons. He wondered if this planet had the same type of weather. At least here if it was warm all around, he wouldn't have to worry about sweating in his clothing because the shirts were cut to appropriately fit the weather of the year.
On a side and an inappropriate note, Thomas also loved the modern clothing because he did not have to wear layers and their pants no longer restrained his groan with a cod piece.
"Just go ahead," Thomas asked.
"Yup," John said he continued to watch Thomas as he flew the jumper, making sure his eyes were still ahead of him, "luckily so far we know of nothing on this planet other than the city of Atlantis itself, so this is a perfect place to practice...but if you get tired gramps I will bring this thing home."
Thomas nodded his head. He assumed since all the ancient technology was basically controlled merely by thought, he believed if he told the technology to keep going straight, it would keep going straight.
"So let's say hypothetically I was in area with this jumper I was very unfamiliar with" He asked, he thought he might as well practice learning to control a moving metal carriage while keeping a conversation, "do I ask for a map?"
Like magic, a set of words and numbers came onto the screen by John's line of view. It didn't block his view completely but it was enough so he can see ahead of him and the horizon.
"See that," John said, "that tells you where you are and the climate of the planet and if there are any life forms."
"Is there anything this thing can't do?" Thomas asked tilting his head.
"I've been asking this thing for a turkey sandwich," John had said with a chuckle, "but alas this is my third trip in this thing and I have not had a turkey sandwich appear in front of me."
"I don't know what a turkey sandwich is," The humanist responded, "but it sounds delicious."
Thomas noticed throughout this little venture since they hit the air Rodney had not said a single word. It was the fact that Rodney was very verbose along with his piercing blue eyes that had drawn the man of all seasons to him. There was never a time so far where they were in each other's company where they did not have a stimulating conversation. It made him miss Erasmus because their friendship was just the same.
He wondered how his old friend was fairing without him and most of all his children.
The saddest of all this was that he would never see his youngest get married. He had arranged a suitor for the boy...Anne Cressarre his ward...but unfortunately the plans never flourished because of his refusal to sign the oath. John was on his own for finding a match if he were to ever find one...He didn't believe anyone would want to marry the son of a now known traitor.
Maybe Katherine would put it her hands...after all they did plan for her to one day be his stepmother. After all, the boy, along with his other children, was the only remnant of him they now had left in this sick cruel world. He sighed and looked at John. At this point if he didn't have him to look at when he did miss family he would cry, which was why eager to finish up this training and go on missions with him. So he could protect the last thing he had left to keep him from breaking from death, those insect creatures and the wraith.
"Hey," John said pointing ahead at the window, "pay attention this place may be clear...but ya never know if something will pop up ahead of you."
"Sorry," Thomas said quietly, "I...was just getting lost in my thoughts...maybe you should take the controls."
"Sure just keep your hold on the controls," John said as he got up from his seat he placed his hands on the rods over Thomas'.
He quickly maneuvered and took his spot where John once sat. He fiddled with the rosary he now wore around his neck thanks to the people who inhabited the city who were once inhabitants of Pegasus, since the chain had broken while he was in the tower. The Athosians they were called had used some sort of special beading. Thomas was aware their leader Teyla, was part of Sheppard's team as well. But just as frightened as he was to meet everyone else, he was frightened to meet them as well. It was the judgment he feared. If Rodney a friend feared at the beginning he would judge him for being Thomas Cromwell's descendant and Protestant, who knows how the others would judge him.
His fingers ran up and down the form. It was special. Katherine had gotten it from him one Yuletide. It had been imported for him from her homeland in Spain. It had something in Spanish inscribed on the back...which she finally translated the one night they had together when he got out of the tower. "To Thomas, with all the love I wish I could express, Catalina." He sighed as he ran his fingers across the inscription and the design. His poor, poor Katherine. She gave up everything to save him from the axe and now it was all for nothing.
He just hoped even though he was angry at his friend at the time, he hoped Thomas Cromwell respected his final wishes and took care of Katherine...even if it meant marrying her in his place.
"Seriously gramps," John said again, "there's something up...and with this one with his head stuck in his tablet-"
"I am trying to see if I could sync music into this thing," Rodney interrupted, raising his head since the first time they arrived in the jumper. "After this one complained he couldn't hear music as we flew from planet to planet. I am just about finished."
"So is this thing gonna play Johnny Cash if I ask it to play Johnny Cash?"
"Johnny Cash? Are you trying to burn my ears out?" Rodney responded, "try something better you know something that won't put me to sleep."
"Just because you are Canadian Rodney, you don't have to diss a great American Legend." John said furrowing his brow. Thomas smiled at the amusement of the little banter that was going back and forth in between them.
"That's what you get for saying Hockey isn't a real sport," Rodney grumbled quietly, "alright, chose a band."
"Okay hopefully this salvages your music taste," John said, "how about The Who?"
Thomas raised his eyebrow in confusion as the sound of rain echoed through the jumper. The next thing he knew he heard the sound of a piano. He turned his head trying his best to pinpoint the sound of where the music was coming from there were certainly no instruments around here. It had to be some sort of enchantment or magic. Then there was a steady drumbeat before the piano played once again.
"Love Reign O'er Me," John mused nodding his head in approval, "one of my favorites...good one."
"Must have read the little romantic feelings you are having for a certain Doctor Weir," Rodney mused folding his hands on his lap, "but glad it works."
"Now back to what we were discussing," John said. Suddenly sounds from unfamiliar instruments played from the song and a soft singing voice accompanied the music. There must have been new types of instruments developed over the years and as a man interested in the arts Thomas was very interested in what innovations that had been made in music along with art. "Are you missing home?"
Thomas sighed and looked down at his feet. His teeth slightly grazed his lower lip. He took a deep breath. Even if he didn't tell the truth, it would be eventually brought out of him. So he might as well come clean, after all he would probably feel much better if he did.
"Well yes," Thomas said looking out ahead of him. By then John had turned the jumper around and they were heading back to the city. As they came closer the city size became larger and larger. He couldn't believe how large it was. It was three times the size of Whitehall. And the fact that it was massive made him marvel the fact that actual human beings had created something in a massive scale. How long did it take? Years or maybe even Decades? "I have left so much behind, so many friends, my family and the woman I love."
"Katherine," Rodney said raising an eyebrow. "Did you wind up with her in your world? Because in ours you did, and they say it was one of the greatest historical love stories of all time."
"It does give me comfort," Thomas said with a smile, at least in another world they would have had such a happy life together but it wasn't enough. He was left with a lot questions of what could have been rather than what would have happened. "but...I was ready to spend my eternity with her...to grow old with her. I did not care that there was a possibility that she could never bear me children. The two of us would have had such a beautiful and happy life growing old together...and I will never know. It frightens me that I have to start over again...I mean I have family...but it is very frightening."
"Is that why you are afraid to meet people on the expedition?" John asked his face shifting of that of concern, it was a lot like his when he worried about Harry and his own children, "and just hanging out with me and Rodney?"
Thomas didn't answer...he made a deep sigh. He used the excuse that he was afraid that people would judge him and taunt him back in his old world. But John was right. He spent 45 years living in a world he was used to and now he had to start over. To make new friends, to make new enemies, to fall in love again. But how could he do that when he was so used to a routine, where he had so many memories and now he had to make new one's how could he possibly do it.
But he didn't want to say he was frightened. He was very aware that John had idolized him for being brave and strong. He couldn't give up that. He had to be just as stoic and endure just as he did in the tower.
"It's alright gramps to be frightened," John said his tone sounded understanding. Had his accent not been different he would have sounded just like him as he shared many of his traits. "But you're not alone. You think you are the only one who has traveled far away and start a new life. I am not really open about my life and since you are family and for some reason I really trust this one." He paused and turned his head for a moment at Rodney who huffed and folded his arms. "But before this I was disgraced pilot in Antarctica, I thought that I was going to be useless and isolated until I was finally discharged, be able to start a family life and that would be the end of it. But then I found this out...that there are aliens and these Stargates...I am not am not used to a world with aliens..."
John sighed he was quiet for a moment as he looked out into the ocean. His hands briefly gripped the rods before relaxing just for a moment before speaking again.
"But you are not the only one who is just starting their life in this city," He said again, "many of us were, moms and dads. Others were teachers and had different jobs. Hell the Athosians here had their own little village before the wraith destroyed it in a culling. You are not alone here gramps. We're all in this together."
Thomas folded his arms gently onto his lap. His fingers gently lacing and taping them against each other for a moment.
"Well," He said biting lip again. The upper part of his lip twitched as it so often did when he was very nervous. It was a trait that distinguished him from other players, "I am just nervous they are not going to like me...I wasn't really respected in the Tudor Court because I was very different. And I mean...I am not just adjusting to a life, a thousand light-years from my home I am talking about years. It's hard..."
John hummed and nodded his head. Thomas turned around and saw that Rodney was back with his head buried with his tablet. He must have believed he should have left the conversation between the ancestor and his descendant, something Harry would have done when he talked to his own children.
"I am going to tell you a story," He said it went quiet again, must have been gathering his thoughts. It was a habit Thomas had done so itself. Thomas had focused his attention to the music again until John spoke again. At this point the singing voice in the song went from soft to something more rough, as if he was singing a mourning tune. When John sighed again Thomas turned his head towards him. "Threes a reason I admire you so much. For ten months in my timeline you went missing. No one knew where you went hell not even historians knew where you went and are still trying to figure it out, but when you came back you were a man the world did not recognize. Whatever happened must have been traumatizing in its own right. You lost faith in god, you were jumpy...and frightened..."
Thomas was a classic version of an introvert...even when he was in mental agony he would hide it inside and not let the world see what was happening to him. There were times he did cry but there were reasons. When his wives died at two separate times, he couldn't hold in his tears. Yet he would bottle up all emotions once the initial shock and pain came to pass. Whatever happened to him in this new timeline must have been life altering and traumatic enough to make him lose his faith in god. Which alone was frightening because god was the one thing he ran to when he was feeling anxious.
"It took a couple of years," John said as he now slowed down the plane as they were approaching the city, "but then something happened to make the scars you endured heal, and you once again became the man of all seasons. I mean not completely but it was to make people admire you and respect. After years of being subdued and timid, you singlehandedly stood up in front of the court and help sentence a traitor to death who started a rebellion that almost shattered life in England as the country knew it at the time. They said it was your strongest speech and that first time in many years the court saw the man of all seasons. And that is why I admire you...no matter what happens you are able to get back up. I am certain it will be no different. prove it to me gramps...prove to me you are the man I have admired for all these years."
Thomas took a deep breath. John brought him up to be this high and mighty man...but he wasn't he was far from that. He was merely man who was one to make mistakes, to do what he was told yet sin at times. But he had to remember John was family if he could make him believe he was the hero to look up to then he had a perfect purpose in life.
"Alright John," Thomas said with a smile, "I will try..."
And when we got back I did. The first thing I did when I returned to the city was meet some of the Athosians in the city. After all I knew their way of life was just as flipped on its head as mine was when I landed here time light-years away. Immediately I made a friend. His name was Halling. He was one of the members of my team's co leaders. We quickly bonded on the fact we were fathers who cared deeply about their children. After a few hours of nonstop conversations with him and his son Jinto I decided that my fears that people would find me odd...were not even necessary to fear in the first place. With that said I...I believed if I could make one friend here so quickly...I would be able to do so with others.
The next morning Thomas made his way into the dining hall. The room was practically empty. Then again, it was a bit later in the morning...many people could be out on their missions throughout the galaxy. His dark eyes scanned the room. He tried to find a table where someone was at least sitting alone. It was a bit difficult because for the few people that were here their small clusters filled up the tables. Not a single sat al-
Suddenly he spotted her...the leader of the expedition what was her name? Elizabeth Weir? Either way she was sitting in the back with her food untouched. In her hands was a small little pink book. He was puzzled on why no one had joined her to eat after all she was the leader of the Atlantis expedition. But he didn't question it, thinking she needed some company, he took a deep breath with his head up high and made his way over to the table.
He was a servant of the king. It was in his nature that he would talk to whatever ruler of this country well in this case city was in power. Maybe she needed advice and Thomas could use his expertise to help her if she needs it. The closer he got, a better view he got on the letters...it might have been thanks to his new glasses given to him by Carson when he first arrived. It was discovered he was a bit nearsighted yet he did not complain. The moment he put on those black thick rimmed glasses he saw clearer the he did before.
Yet his hearing was still sharp. When he got closer to her he heard that she was talking quietly in a different language. Thomas knew many different one's as he was a courtier and a diplomat. They ranged from French, Spanish to even Greek thanks to his friendship with Erasmus. But he wasn't quite sure what language Elizabeth was speaking today. Nevertheless she seemed deep in thought...and unaware of his presence. So he quietly cleared his throat.
"May I?" He began only to quiet his message when Elizabeth raised her fingers and waved them telling him to sit down in front of her. As he was considered a courtier in this court he nodded his head. He thought he might as well while she was finishing to say his prayers over the food. He crossed himself before whispering in Latin in "in the name of the father, the son and the holy ghost" before folding his hands on the metal table. "My lord," He said quietly, "blessed are you my lord for allowing to receive this food and manage my life safely in this wondrous new place."
As Thomas took his fork and dipped it into his grapefruit, Elizabeth said amen as well before shutting her book.
"Sorry Sir Thomas do you prefer I call you that?" She said tilting her head to the side, "I know Major Sheppard made you aware that you are going to be referred to as Dr. Moore outside this city to make it less confusing to the inhabitants when it comes to titles of our members...but I want to make sure you are comfortable here as well after all this is now your home as well."
"Sir Thomas is fine," Thomas said being a gentle. At least if he was called Sir Thomas he would be able to feel like he was at home for a little bit rather than just pretending he was.
"Anyway Sir Thomas," Elizabeth said picking up a piece of toast with a white spread over it, "I was raised religious...though I stepped down a branch of my religion when I got older I made it a habit to pray every day when I wake up, when I eat and before I go before I go to bed. It was programmed into me...and something I quite enjoy."
Thomas smiled. John did say she was rather devoted to her religion but he didn't elaborate on which. He knew it wasn't Catholicism because he would have heard she was speaking in Latin and would have been able to translate it almost perfectly. But it didn't matter...the fact they had something in common even though they seemed to have different belief systems was off to a thunderous start.
"A woman after my own heart," He said with a grin, "not saying it romantically," he quickly elaborated. Though Elizabeth reminded him a lot of Katherine in some ways already, he and Rodney sensed that John may have had some romantic feelings towards the leader. Thomas was not that type of man. He would never get in the way of something he knew someone he cared about desired and family was no exception, I am quite thrilled to hear that more women of this age are more learned, educated and are able to hold jobs that used to be exclusively for men."
Elizabeth nodded her head before taking a bite of her toast.
"Considering you made sure your daughters were educated as well as your son," She said with a grin before moving over to her coffee and taking a sip, "I knew you would be thrilled at the prospect. Sorry if I sound...obsessed but I don't know if John told you that-"
"You did a lot of research about me when you were in College," Thomas interrupted before taking a bite of his own food, "He tends to speak about you a lot."
"Does he now?"
He could have sworn he saw Elizabeth blush only a little but not too much. Maybe she had the same feelings for him as John did? Or maybe he she wasn't used to that type of affection. Katherine was that way too. When Thomas first the Spanish Princess all those years ago, he kissed her on the hand and told her she was the most beautiful woman in the world. He even elaborated that her smile would be able to brighten up even the smallest room. She looked at him in shock and awe. He asked her why she reacted in that way after all she probably had so many compliments. She just smiled and said wasn't used to hearing such poetic words from a man on her beauty...at least not directly to her.
He sighed. Oh how he missed her smile and would love to see it again. But at least it was vivid and he could remember it in dreams.
"He does," Thomas said, "I don't know...but from what he says he considered you a dear friend." That was a lie. The way John spoke the way his eyes shined like the stars when he simply spoke her name...something that he often did when he was a young man in love, told him a much different story. He was in love with this fair maiden...but yet was afraid to scream it from the rooftops. But he didn't want to speak for John...if the young man did love Elizabeth Weir he would have to speak for himself. "Anyway I don't mean to pry...but I am assuming you were praying...but what language were you speaking when you were doing your prayers."
Elizabeth smiled gently and passed the small book over to Thomas, so he could look inside. He picked up the book gently and skimmed through the pages and at a quick glance he immediately knew the language. His friend Bishop Fisher was studying it though it was complicated but admired his friend for taking such a challenge. His eyes suddenly lit up in intrigue and fascination.
"You're Jewish!" He said with a bright smile, "Oh I always wanted to meet your people."
"Well," Elizabeth said with a chuckle as she took yet another bite of her food, "I didn't want to believe Rodney when he said you were more tolerant because there was a time you weren't...I guess I am going to have to apologize."
Thomas nodded his head. He was guessing his alternate reality self was a bit more fanatical than him to keep Catholicism the sacred religion in England before he became atheists. But at least he was able to prove them wrong by being able to show interest in other religions.
"I never really had a problem with the Judaic religion," Thomas stated leaning forward. He often did that when he was lecturing whether it be a lesson to his children or just talking a philosophical conversation with his friends. It was a way to tell the other party that he was very interesting and passionate in the words he was saying, "in fact Catholicism is a branch of Judaism itself...after all, and the savior was Jewish was he not."
Elizabeth nodded her head in agreement.
"It is also connected with Islam," She said, "each follows the same concepts even some doctrines are the same...but anyway because...Jesus was originally Jewish, Jesus himself went through many Jewish rites and rituals. They even said he was buried in a prayer shawl we call a tallit."
"It's because of this I always believed we should respect our fellow Jewish citizens," He responded leaning back. Elizabeth was shocked...she must have believed he was going to smack her and scream how dare she make such a humiliating statement on their savior, "I often look at this as...if were to call your people heretics...we would be calling the virgin Mary or worse savior himself a Heretic."
"Where were people like you during the Spanish inquisition?" Elizabeth chuckled before leaning back, continuing to eat.
"Believe me I tried to tell Harry to lift the expulsion England had against the Jews in our country," Thomas added, he wasn't trying to impress her it was all true...after all he wasn't as fanatical as the word had made him out to be in the past, "but you know the king stubborn as a mule."
Elizabeth almost choked on her coffee as she laughed a bit harder. He looked over in concern to make sure Elizabeth was okay. But she lifted her hand and told him he was fine. So he went back to taking another bite of his grapefruit since the expedition leader was eating a bit faster than him.
"Oh I know...he reminds me a bit of one of expedition members," She said rolling her eyes, "he is vain egotistical and very narcissistic."
"Peter Kavanaugh?" Thomas asked. He was never the type to indulge in petty gossip in court. Considering most of the petty gossip surrounded him and his lack of sinning in the court because there was really no need to join in. But he knew exactly who she was talking about the moment she put vain and egotistical in the same sentence. Elizabeth nodded her head in response, he thought so. "I met him the other day. I accidently ran into him while I was exploring the city like I usually did. He made some comment about all us Sheppards being alike, thinking the world should part for us as we walk."
"Ignore him," Elizabeth resonded tilting her voice to the side. Her voice was firm with a little bit of sarcasm in it...again...it reminded him too much of Katherine. But yet the more he spoke with her the less pain that he endured when it came to missing her. A remnant of her was better than nothing, even if it was with something he didn't see himself with romantically. "He's only child...and kids like that tend to be spoiled because they failed the important lesson about learning how to share." She paused as Thomas chuckled. It was true...while it was rare in his time he had come across people who had grown up with no siblings. Either they died when they were young, which was common in England or...their parents just couldn't have any children. He even roomed with one once when he was in Oxford. It was the most miserable experience in college of his life. His roommate shared nothing and forgot someone was living with him when he brought home village wenches to bed while he tried to study and write. "He will eventually learn...there are about five hundred expedition members on this ship plus the Athosians he will eventually have no choice but to share with others."
"Were you an only child Doctor Weir?" Thomas asked tilting his head...after all she seemed to know so much about him through her research, he might as well learn a bit about her.
"No," Elizabeth said, "Since my family was Modern Orthodox which was one step in the Jewish Branch before they reach the most religious Branch which is called Hasidic…..they had a lot of children. It was tradition. My religion believes the more children they had the more they would be able to cultivate and make sure our religion remains a strong one. After all our people had been through I think it makes a lot of sense. I was one of three sisters and two brothers. It seemed average for a family like ours. But in our small house in Tel Aviv, Israel, we eventually ran out of room and move to the states."
"Israel?" Thomas said tilting his head. He knew that there was many countries since he left his world had been established. It was obviously hard to keep up because there was some that many explorers like Magellan and Columbus had yet to land on their ships.
"It's another word for the Holy Lands…" Elizabeth said.
"You lived in the Holy Lands!" Thomas explained, "you lucky woman….what was it like? Is it like being close to god? Because that rumor has it because it's where our savior lived his life….you go and you come back feeling holy. But I never imagined you can live there!"
"It's a beautiful place," Elizabeth said, moving her hands up to two silver tags that she wore around her neck. John had worn similar except they did not bear Hebrew letters. Apparently it was won by members in the army exclusively god forbid they were killed so they can identify them for the family. "But it could sometimes get crowded because it is not only a holy place for my people….but for Catholics….and for Muslims to do many people want to visit but, um, since it was established in 1948…..yes it is still a very young state….there had been periods of times where it was dangerous."
Thomas gasped at hearing this. Of all places he did not expect the Holy Lands, a place where may religious and miraculous events happened. Wouldn't it be protected under god?
"What," He said tilting his head, "I mean I know in Ancient times there were very tense relationships with all the religious persecution by the Romans but...now."
"It isn't that simple," Elizabeth said squeezing the dog tags once again. Thomas assumed it was a sign of comfort for her...just as John fiddled with the ring he wore on the same chain of his dog tags. It must have had some significance to her. "Wars revolving around religion still happened in modern times...people had gone has far as killing off certain groups of people...just to try to wipe them off the face of the earth...In the 1940s such an act against my people. A man tried to make white Christians the only dominant and permanent race in the war. 6 million of my people were thrown into camps and killed just for believing in something that was deemed to be wrong by the ratings and ravings of a mad man it was called the Holocaust."
Hearing this made Thomas completely and entirely grateful that he stopped his fights against heresy. Six people were burned alive at the Stake in front of him. He could still smell their burnt flesh. He could still hear the sound of their screams and sometimes he could see them thrashing against the ropes as they endured their final painful moments. Six...he still couldn't live with the fact he did that. But imagine he had six MILLION heretics burn at the stake. He couldn't live with himself.
He would probably be regarded as one of history's most terrible monsters.
"I'm guessing this occurred before you were born?" Thomas asked. The man of all seasons knew that they were early in the 21st century. Unless they made some brilliant cure to combat old age...Elizabeth Weir certainly did not look like she was from the 1940s...she would be in her sixties would she not? And she close to John's age maybe a little older...which was 33. But yet she still seemed somewhat connected to it. Maybe someone she knew had suffered these atrocities? Or it just pained her to know that her people had to endure such crimes because a mad man believed that there should be one type of person in the world and those who weren't born that way were punished severely.
"Oh you are talking 30 years before I was born...give or take," Elizabeth said, "but family members on my mother's side had lived in Europe during these terrible events. My grandma and her family were sent to what they called concentration camps. Grandma said it was something compared to limbo because either you go there for heavy labor or you go there to die. Upon her arrival with my grandma Rivka and my great Uncle Eli who I was named after were taken to a work camp...My aunt Ziva and my great grandparents were taken to what they called the death chambers because they were deemed unfit to work...they were made to believe they were going to take a shower but instead the room was filled with a poisonous substance that filled the air."
Thomas crossed himself, it was one thing to behead or burn a man with them knowing...but to deceive a person by telling them they were doing a normal every day routine only to be killed, how awful! How humane!
"By god," He said, "I hope the man who caused these terrible deeds got what he deserved."
"Unfortunately unlike you...he was not willing to be executed for his cause," Elizabeth continued now letting go of tags and reaching for her coffee once again, "he killed himself coward like he was...Grandma often said...that it was better for him to die that way...like a scared little rat. But enough about him...when Uncle Eli and Grandma were freed along with Millions of other Jews they had decided to leave Europe they thought it was too painful for them."
Thomas nodded his head. He understood their pain...after all he endured in the tower and being sentenced to death only to be pardoned at the last minute...especially since it's been giving him nightmares lately...he thought if he was able to come home it would be too painful for him as well. He threw it in the back of his mind because he wanted to be sane for his upcoming wedding with Katherine...but coming here was a blessing in disguise. Thomas tended to mask things and blow up at the last minute...had he stayed he wouldn't realized that demons from that terrible year and two months were inwardly at times eating him from the inside out. It would have been too late if he did, either he would react violently or drink until he was blind once again.
Thank god neither happened and he would touch on the subject as soon as he finished adjusting to his new life here.
"At least some of your family survived Doctor Weir," Thomas said picking up another apple and taking a bite of it, "I couldn't imagine a world without you."
Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh.
"I am no longer surprised that you and Colonel Sheppard are related you sound alike," She said smirk forming on her lips. It told Thomas she probably had some feelings for his young descendant as well. Intelligent and kind, he wouldn't mind having a woman like her in his family. "Anyway to finish my explanation...after the Holocaust Jews searched for a place where they could go in case something like this happened again...a place for asylum." Thomas nodded his head. "For many years many Jews despite the fact it wasn't under Hebrew rule...went to what was called Palestine...some went to visit the Holy sites...some went to live there...but Zionists...which were a group of people who sought for a Jewish Holy Land to call their own...fought to make Palestine...that place. My grandfather was one...a rather extreme one at that."
"What do you mean by extreme?" Thomas was somewhat intrigued. Elizabeth did seem to have an interesting family from what she was telling him. It kind of made him envious that he was from a family of just immigrants from Ireland who became politicians and layers "Was he passionate about his beliefs like Martin Luther? Did he insight riots to spread his cause like the May Day Riots?"
"A little of both," Elizabeth elaborated, "he was born in England...the expulsion England had placed upon the Jews centuries ago had long been lifted so there were some Jewish communities. When he was in college he made his Aliyah to Israel to study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, it had been a dream of his...you went to University right Lincoln's Inn? Have you engaged in what was called...rebellious behavior?"
Thomas nodded his head. Because his father was abusive Thomas had done many terrible things in College...things he deeply regretted it. He got drunk till he passed out. He got into brawls at bars. The worst he sometimes woke up the next morning in the bed of another woman. They'd be naked as they day they were born and he would have not a single clue how he got there...There was obviously a reason he turned to Christianity, wore a hair shirt everyday leaving constant amount of scars on his back, joining the scars that had been inflicted by his bastard father and his cane, and constantly begged for god's forgiveness.
But of course he would not tell Elizabeth about it. He would try his best to leave it out of the conversation. Even if she researched and was fascinated by another version of himself who had a completely different life than him. The last thing he wanted to say there was a version of him that engaged in a vast amount of sins. Sins that would make his dead mother's skin crawl.
"Well," Elizabeth continued, "he joined a group of men who were Zionists. One of the future Israeli prime ministers. They engaged in riots and protests, begging for the world to hear their cries. But in 1948...England released control of Palestine...and it fell into the hands of the UN-"
"UN?" Thomas said tilting his head occasionally he would hear a term that he would not know of as they didn't have it in England. So he had to ask the person he was speaking to elaborate on it...give him a better understanding on the matter.
"The United Nations," Elizabeth said, "it's basically a group of countries from around the world who work together to solve global problems...it was established after two deadly wars that involved many major countries."
"Ah," Thomas responding reaching for his coffee and taking a sip. He made sure to absorb the information so if the term UN or United Nations came up he would know what they were speaking about, "life would have been much easier if we had that back in Europe...anyway continue."
"Well," She obliged folding her hands onto the table. She was impressed that he was taking in all this information. Probably since she assumed that he didn't want to learn about cultures that didn't involve Catholicism. It made him feel foolish for having his love for religion put him in a horrible exaggerated light and did those terrible things to those six heretics.
"Learning from the Holocaust, the United Nations decided to give Israel to the Jewish people. But because you know for many years Israel had also had been under Islamic as well as British rule, you could probably imagine the anger of it."
"So they were angry because they lost the country to a religion other than theirs?" Thomas said tilting his head, "I don't quite understand this...if the government was taken over by someone by treaty they would do their best to respect it."
"It's a different world Sir Thomas," She said with a deep sigh, "pride is a terrible thing...because many of the Arab Nations were angry about this...they started a war against Israel in the early days of our country. It wouldn't be the first time they would...they would do it again and again. Despite this Israel remained strong on her feet. Yet during the times when there were no wars...we have the occasional terror attack. Hezbollah fighters would strap themselves with bomb and board themselves on heavily crowded bushes and blow themselves up."
Thomas crossed himself. In his time when people were Angry at the King, they would start riots in the streets. Maybe a few people would be killed accidently but...blowing themselves up...with bombs. He only recently started learning about those terrible devices. Death would be quick but still even in that instant flash wouldn't it be painful? Why would one want to die in a terrible way for a cause?
He should be understanding. He was willing to at a time to suffer martyrdom to keep his faith towards Rome...just as god told him to. But if he were to die...he wouldn't die taking a bunch of innocent men, women and children with him. He would rather suffer a traitor's death than do that.
"That is...that is horrible," Thomas reached over and touched her hand. It wasn't something he did out of love. It was something he did out of comfort. It depended on the person...like now...with Elizabeth who was just a stranger still to him...he brushed his thumb over the top of her hand once. Had Elizabeth been a friend...someone he knew forever like Harry or Katherine...his hand would have been there much longer. But it was enough to tell her if she needed comfort talking about these horrible things she had a friend who was willing to sit down and listen to her stories, "Hopefully god blessed you and no one you knew and loved during one of these attacks..."
"Well luckily for me," Her smile faded just a little, "and I say lucky because it is better for most of my other Israeli friends who stayed behind when I moved...I only had one person I knew die in a terror attack...my cousin...but it wasn't on Israeli soil it was in a different country."
"So these Islamic extremists?" Thomas said tilting his head. "Don't just attack the Holy Land? they attack all over the world?"
Elizabeth nodded her head.
"The attack which my claimed my cousin's life," She said, she moved her hand back to her dog tag and squeezed it tightly as it were some type of rosary or other religious relic, "Was a huge deal in American History...an Islamic Extremist group called Al Qaeda flew some of our planes into buildings located in one of the biggest cities in the country. Thousands were killed...my cousin worked in one of the buildings that were attacked...the highest building in Atlantis is about five times the size as the building was. But as you could imagine some of the skyscrapers were pretty high. She was on one of the top floors when the building collapsed."
"But I thought the Islamic religion was a peaceful one and condoned such violence," Thomas responded appalled that people would use the name of god in such a disgusting manner, more the fact that it barely happened in his time.
"It is...the Quran condones murder and violence unless in times of war," Elizabeth responded. His anger ceased a little when he realized Elizabeth Weir was a very well learned woman in religious studies something he rarely saw in his time. Only his daughters and the Boleyn girl seemed to be two notable examples that were well learned. "But there's usually some fanatic who will misinterpret one line and will soon be blowing themselves up."
"Blowing themselves up?" A voice said. Thomas and Elizabeth lifted their heads up in unison having their eyes meet with John who had a tray full of food in his hands. "You know as happy as I am you are finally branching out and you met Elizabeth...who is very lovely is she not?" He continued and winked at the woman. "I didn't expect you two having such a morbid conversation."
I have had my suspicions that John loved Elizabeth since her name slipped off his tongue for the first time. I've seen many men fall in love. I've seen my son's schoolboy crushes when he went to Oxford. I watched as Harry fall head over heels for the Lady Anne (which still perplexes me that he eventually had her beheaded in this timeline...I am still unsure if it happened here). So as I watched as John Sheppard's eyes shined when he spoke her name...I knew he was smitten.
How could he not? Elizabeth, had John not stake his claim, was a woman I would have courted myself for she wasn't the meek and submissive woman. She was strong and courageous. It was why as I watched John sit down and talk to Elizabeth...I felt a bit of sadness. Because looking at them reminded me of something Katherine and I would never have. A relationship.
"Everything alright Gramps?" John said interrupting Thomas from his thoughts, "you look a bit down in the dumps."
"Yes, yes," Thomas said trying to ignore the subtle integration between the two young people. This was obviously an uphill battle for him trying not to miss home when so many things had made him vividly remember the past. Even if it was something as simple as stargazing from the Atlantis balcony he couldn't ignore it. He wasn't going to lie...though he was happy here he made so many friends and learned so much...there was still days where he wished to god that by some miracle he would be home...in Katherine's arms...
"I think I know what it is..." Elizabeth said tilting her head, "and you can object immediately if I am wrong...but do I remind you of Katherine?"
Thomas blinked. It was as if the woman actually read him like a book even though he worked so hard to avoid her getting the hint. He had that ability as well...it was why he tried so hard to hide his dissatisfaction when he felt unhappy unless of course he was in mourning then he had every right.
"How did you?" He asked somewhat impressed.
"John kind of told me for one you were...somewhat in a relationship with her in your timeline before you came here," She began, he turned his head to John who sat next to him and somewhat frowned he didn't like his business being let out in the open but what could he do? He couldn't be mad at John forever. He just sighed and looked back at the woman sitting across from him, "and two...you and John got this look when it's very obvious from something."
"You can't hide anything from this one," John said with a chuckle and a grin. Thomas watched as John's eyes shifted to Elizabeth seeing if he could steal a glance. It was something he also done with Katherine ever so often. "She always pries it out of me in the end no matter how hard I try to avoid the subject."
He emphasized it by rolling his eyes.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Elizabeth said tilting her head, "or get me an appointment with Doctor Heightmeyer? I feel letting it off your chest makes you feel better."
To be quite honest he wanted an escape. Thomas remained quiet looking down at his food. What to say? It would be disrespectful not to follow a leader's instruction though John clearly told him here that people weren't beheaded for not agreeing with a leader. In fact, John said he had a few fights with Elizabeth...but considering he did not want another experience in prison or like the tower or anything like that...he thought it would be better if he just spoke...maybe she was right...maybe he would feel better if he said something.
Suddenly salvation, someone tapped him on the shoulder. Thomas lifted his head and saw that Rodney was standing there. He couldn't help but grin. Part of him wanted to kiss his hands for giving him a reason to bolt out the door but it would be an overreaction. Besides there was already some jeopardy with their relationship as there were those lingering feelings he might as well do something else to break it further.
"So Ford said he was ready to teach you about explosives," Rodney said with a grin..."After aren't we taking you on your first mission soon?"
Elizabeth nodded her head.
"We're just writing up a back story for you," She said, "as much as we would love you to be yourself...unfortunately some of the natives around the Pegasus galaxy haven't even seen something as advanced as our weapons...I don't know if they will be...freaked out...by the fact a man through traveled through time and dimensions."
Thomas rose to his feet and nodded his head gently.
"Understandable," He responded his tone of voice had changed. He was actually very excited (though he knew of the dangers out there like the wraith), to go out beyond these city walls and see what the Pegasus Galaxy had to offer. As a man who was interested in human nature seeing how people lived...amongst the starts, this was something as fascinating as reading a new work released by someone in the humanist circle. The quicker he finished his training the better. "Well as much as I would like to stay and get to know you more Doctor Weir."
"Please,' she said narrowing her eyes sincerely, "call me Elizabeth..."
"Fine then Lady Elizabeth...do you mind Lady Elizabeth...it's a proper thing to do with people with status...give them a title." Thomas inquired, she shook her head in response indicating that if he made him comfortable calling a woman by her proper title than she wasn't going to object. "It was a pleasure to meet you...I hope to talk to you soon and get to know about you a little bit more."
"You too Sir Thomas," She responded.
Thomas gave Elizabeth a quick bow before following Rodney out of the cafeteria. As usual the scientist was begging to talk about a mile per minute. But he drowned it out as he turned his head to back to see John and Elizabeth interacting immediately. He made a deep sigh. Before turning his head forward to follow Rodney out the door. He did miss Katherine and seeing the two of them together at the beginning of a possible beautiful romantic future together. He wished Katherine was here...that he could show her the wondrous things he had seen. That he would know where their relationship could have been had they stayed behind in Tudor England.
But he had to look forward to the future...worlds to see and people to meet. He couldn't let his homesickness get in the way of his excitement. Yet it was only nature to mourn and miss the life he left behind. It was something he would have to overcome and he would find a way.
After all, he always faced roadblocks and challenges in his life. And no matter what he would always overcome them, whatever creative method he would use. Though this place was far from his comfort zone, there was no way in heaven or in hell; he would make this any different.