Chapter III: Telling a Story
A/N: This chapter was interesting to write. Black widow mistress and IzzieStar shout outs go to them for helping big time. I own nothing except for John Jr and Olivia. Tearjerker warning for this chapter. Enjoy! She-Demon
Previously on The World Goes On…
"How much did O'Neill tell you?"
"Just that you were alive. What else is there that I need to know?"
He then noticed two small kids at the foot of the stairs. They couldn't have been more than six. The girl had dark brown hair in a style similar to Elizabeth's, but slightly messier. She also had Elizabeth's bright green eyes. The boy had the same dark brown hair, but it was tousled in the back with hazel eyes. His eyes.
He looked at Elizabeth.
"O'Neill obviously planned on letting me tell you this. John you're a father. And these are your children."
He couldn't think of a word to say. He was thunderstruck.
They stared at each other for about a minute before John Jr asked while giggling nervously,
"Are you joking Mommy?"
Olivia on the other hand, had a more serious question which affected her father more.
"Where have you been?"
Still able to read John like a book, with a knot growing in her stomach, Elizabeth could tell that he was just about to explode with both anger and questions. Knowing that distracting the kids would be a very good idea, she said
"John, Olivia, go upstairs. I'll be right behind you."
As they noisily made their way back up the stairs, Elizabeth looked back at him. His eyes were turning dark with rage.
Once she got the kids upstairs and got them some breakfast, she told them,
"You can go eat outside" and as they scurried outside in their excitement, she said, "Water the plants while, you're at it."
Once they were outside and shut the door, Elizabeth listened to them jabber together in their twinspeak. They were six years old and they hardly did that anymore, except when they were very excited. Today was one of those days.
Stopping her musing, Elizabeth made her way back downstairs.
"This is going to be fun"
Once she got back downstairs, John was pacing like a caged tiger. His eyes seemed to have gone back to his regular hazel, but they were still flinty.
"How did they happen?"
Trying to inject some humor into the situation, she said
"I'm pretty sure you know how that happened, John"
The look on his face showed that he didn't appreciate the attempt at some humor.
"What I meant was when did they happen?"
She'd known that had been what he'd meant. She might as well start at the beginning.
"Remember our last night together?"
His eyes widened in comprehension. Both of them flashed back to that night…
Although Teyla has told her to get some rest, she was still pacing in exactly the same way she had been in her office. If they got through this, which wasn't looking all too likely at the moment, she was seriously going to have to reconsider her position – she had just about had enough of the military taking over – even ignoring John – and screwing up every time they did.
The door slid open to reveal John looking anxiously at her. He immediate went over to her and wrapped his arms around her, but she pushed him away.
'Hey, are you okay?' He asked.
'What do you think?' She snapped.
'Look, I know things are looking bad, but...'
'But what? They don't just look bad, they are bad John. And once again I've been completely bypassed.'
'I talked to Ellis.'
She looked at him for the first time, 'And?'
His guilty expression gave it away and she laughed bitterly.
'So do you want me to clear my office for you now, or shall I wait just in case we all get killed first?'
'How can you say that?' He asked, anger starting to rise.
Struck by the tone of his voice, Elizabeth looked up into his eyes which reflected the mixture of anger and remorse that were in her own. Unable to maintain eye contact, her eyes slipped to his lips, the way they were so resolutely closed, the fullness of the bottom lip...struck by a wave of desire she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him angrily. He roughly pushed her onto the bed, hitting her head on the wall which seemed to bring him to his senses and he pulled away.
'This is...' He began.
'Just make love to me.'
Unable to resist such a plea, his lips met hers again. Elizabeth arched her back as his fingers skimmed across her hips and while his lips and mouth worked her neck making their way down to her shoulder eliciting a small moan from her as he gently scraped his teeth across the delicate skin. Her hands had made their way to into his hair where she was fisting small handfuls of hair. Neither of them stopped to think about protection.
Back to the present…
"So it was that night?"
"How else do you think they survived John?"
With the technicalities out of the way, John was unable to control his anger any longer.
"What is this Elizabeth? Were you ever going to tell me? Or were you just going to keep them thinking whatever story you told them? What story did you tell them? Did you tell them I was dead? Gone? Abandoned them? Because I sure as hell didn't do anything like that Elizabeth! I would have been there for you! Six years Elizabeth and you couldn't even call me!"
"I never expected to see you again, John. The story that I told them was that you were MIA overseas. And how could I tell you when I couldn't even contact you? I was told by the IOA that if I ever tried to contact you, they'd take John and Olivia away from me and that you would also have trouble from them. It's not my fault; all four of us are victims of the IOA!" She was barely suppressing her tears, her eyes obviously shining.
"It's always the IOA isn't it Liz, it's always the same excuse with you, do you have any idea how I feel about this? To know that General O'Neill of all people knew about my children before I did! Who else knows? Are there others that knew you were here? That you had my kids here with you? Six years is a long time Elizabeth, I mourned for you because I loved you, but all you ever do is look out for yourself, you could have put up a fight y'know, you could have tried to get out and to be away from their control."
Now her ire rose. How dare he assume that she was thinking only of herself!
"You have no idea what I've been through John Sheppard. You think it was easy going through that alone, without any of your friends to be there for you? Do think I enjoyed being a test guinea pig for the IOA? Do you think that I liked the prospect of raising our children on my own and the only way I could tell them about you was through stories, and in those stories I couldn't even tell them your name, for fear of them being taken away from me! 'I'm being pedantic though - clearly you have been living your life with me in your every thought, devoting your whole life to my memory. No? I didn't think so"
"I never stopped thinking about you Elizabeth, but when we got that replicator that said that the real Elizabeth… You I guess… had died back in 2007."
They seemed to have run out of steam for their arguing. Then in a calm manner he said,
"Despite all that's happened they seemed to have turned out pretty well and a credit to you, even without me being around."
"That can be changed. You're here now. Come on upstairs, they should be done eating."
While Elizabeth was right about the kids being done eating, she was wrong about what they were doing afterwards. They were supposed to be watering the plants but, like all small children tend to do, they got easily distracted.
Olivia was watering the plants with one of the water buckets. When she heard a snicker behind her, Olivia turned to see her brother smirking evilly and fiddling with thing on the hose that changed the pressure of the water. Realizing what he was about to do she said,
"Don't you Daaarrree!" she squealed as the hose blasted her with a torrent of water.
Once that ceased, she was glaring daggers at her brother, who was laughing uncontrollably at her and her stringy wet hair. She then decided to take advantage of his hysterics and turned the tables on him by blasting him with the hose herself. When he got up spluttering, she smirked at him.
"Don't start something you can't finish, little brother."
"Be careful of what you say Livie."
The water fight was on. They were wrestling for the hose and whenever they got their hands on it, the one who had the hose would drench the other. What they didn't realize that by now, their parents were up from the basement. Towards the end of the fight, Olivia pinned her brother.
"Pinned ya"
They began wrestling for the hose again with the same results.
"Pinned ya again" They broke apart. They circled each other with the hose in the middle. Unfortunately, it was John Jr with the hose. He'd managed to sneak behind a bush and hide the hose with him which he'd already turned off. He called out,
"'Livia, truce?"
This was enough to get his sister out from her hiding place. Once she was in the clear, he turned on the hose to the highest pressure he could handle and he sprayed her with the torrent of water. After turning off the water, he went over to her and asked,
"You yield?"
Olivia gave him her best glare, but she knew when she was beaten.
"Of course. You win"
He offered a hand to help her up. When she grabbed his hand, he was unprepared for Olivia to yank him down. The opportunity was too much to resist.
"You still win, but the timing was perfect." While they were just beginning to pick everything up, Olivia noticed that they had an audience. She turned the color of her maroon shirt.
"Uhhhh, John…"
"What Liv?"
"We have an audience and I don't know how long they've been here." Her brother's face also flushed maroon.
As their parents walked over, they immediately began to,
"She started it!"
"He started it!"
"Did not"
"Did too"
"Did not"
"Did too"
"Quit bickering both of you. After he helps dry you off, he will be leaving."
Two pairs of eyes turned to him.
"Are you gonna come back?"
"Yes I will. I promise."
As Elizabeth went inside for more towels, she paused by the window and watched the scene. She had never thought that she would get to see this, John with their children.
Especially during that first Christmas in witness protection.
Try to imagine a house that's not a home
Try to imagine a Christmas all alone
That's where I'll be
Since you left me
My tears would melt the snow
What can I do?
Without you
I've got no place, no place to go
"I don't have to imagine a Christmas all alone, because I'm living it right now!"
It was Christmas Eve 2007. It was snowing so it fit Elizabeth's gloomy mood. One year ago, she'd been in a different galaxy. One year ago she'd been with her friends. One year ago she'd been with a man, a man that had driven her mad with her love for him as she did with his love for her.
Now, a year later she was back in the Milky Way. She was also forbidden from contacting any of her friends. She was especially forbidden to contact John; much less tell him that she was going to have his children. Sometime in early to mid February to be exact.
"There'd be some irony, the twins being born on Valentine's Day."
It'll be lonely this Christmas
Without you to hold
It'll be lonely this Christmas
Lonely and cold
It'll be cold so cold
Without you to hold
This Christmas
Each time I remember the day you went away
And how I would listen to things you have to say
I just break down, as I look around
And the only things I see
Are emptiness and loneliness
And an unlit Christmas tree
At least she was allowed to enjoy some of the season's festivities. She did have Christmas tree, but like in the song it was unlit. She hadn't felt too festive all month. Because she was waiting for news. News that concerned her children and whether she'd be allowed to keep them.
"And what would be the plans of the IOA for them, if they decide that I can't keep them? I'm not sure I want to know. Most of them just see the three of us as a science experiment. Most of those in that category just see me and the kids as freaks of nature. Some I think even consider us to be abominations."
She rubbed her tummy thinking,
"You guys are not abominations or freaks of nature. Do not let anyone tell you any differently"
When she got up to get the hot chocolate, she heard the last words of the song,
Merry Christmas darlin', wherever you are
"Merry Christmas John, wherever you are."
Back to the present…
After they'd finished getting the kids dried off, John got ready to leave. He noticed that Elizabeth was fidgeting nervously. He asked,
"What is it 'Lizabeth?"
"I hope we haven't scared you away."
Smiling, he looked her straight in the eyes.
"You kidding? I've got six years of catching up to do-try keeping me away."
What she did next surprised him. She gave him a look that he hadn't seen in a long time, directed at him. She was happy. Probably happier than she'd been in a very long time. He knew that he was feeling the same way.
Once he left, he knew he had to get some business done. There were two people he needed to call.
"I probably should wait until I get back to the hotel. Both of them are going to think that I've gone insane; or on drugs."
Once he got back to the hotel, he went straight to his room. He hadn't seen O'Neill yet, but he still wanted to give him a wide berth.
"Which one to call first? Carson would be the better choice, and given his unique experience especially with that whole "second take" on life that they both have gotten. I probably should warn Liz about Carson, because as far as she knows, he's dead. Boy oh boy, Rodney is probably going to have a heart attack."
He dialed the familiar cell phone number. Carson was working at the SGC, because he was considered to be "dead". He didn't get to leave very often, (again thanks to the damn IOA) but he could leave for short periods of time, and was allowed to see those that didn't know he was dead in the first place. He'd have to tell him about Liz being alive.
"But leave the kids out. I'm still trying to process that myself, I'm not going to try and explain it to someone else before I process it all."
After a few rings Carson answered with,
"Hi John, what going on?"
Now that he had gotten a hold of him, John became very nervous. How did he know that Carson's phone wasn't tapped?
"Just was calling to talk. I haven't done that in a while so I figured I'd do that. How are you doing?"
Carson, with the sixth sense that came with being a doctor, could tell that John was dancing around telling him something very important.
"I'm doing fine John. What's going on? You sound like you're trying to tap dance in a minefield."
After a few deep breaths, John asked,
"Are you sitting down Carson?"
"I am now. What is it?"
"Elizabeth's alive and living in Sedona Arizona."
There was silence on the other end of the line. He was surprised that Carson hadn't immediately questioned his sanity.
"Are you sure? How did you find out, lad?"
"I heard it from General O'Neill. Then I came here along with him. I saw her with my own eyes and talked to her. She's alive and it's her."
"How did she survive?"
"Apparently the Asurans didn't kill her right away. They were doing some experiments when she was, and I use this term loosely, rescued by an IOA contingent. Then they began their own set of tests on her because of the nanites. During the course of their experiments, the IOA found that the nanites could not be used for anything else once activated. Naturally, they decided that she should remain in hiding. It's been six years."
"God's Truth. I thought that what the bastards are doing to me was bad, keeping her away from the ones she loves the most is even worse."
John then thought,
"That's only half of it Carson. What I'm not telling you is that not only is Elizabeth alive, she has two children, and they're mine."
"I was wondering, given your unique experience on the whole second take on life thing, you could come and possibly talk to her. Maybe an old friend could be of some comfort."
"I'll leave as soon as I can get a ticket. Sky Harbor in Phoenix is the closest airport to Sedona correct?"
"Yes Carson, thank you."
"I'll call you when I'm at the airport. Are you going to call Rodney?"
"Yeah, I figured I'd call him after you. Talk to you later."
After John disconnected the call, he got up and got a glass of water. He knew that his conversation with Rodney could run long. When he finished, he picked up his phone and dialed the number. When he heard the phone pick up, he said,
"So how's my favorite physicist?"
"What do you want Sheppard?"
"Just checking up on a friend."
John could tell that Rodney was getting annoyed with him.
"I'm fine and I have work to do."
John could also tell that he was getting ready to hang up.
"Okay, okay" and before Rodney could hang up, he said,
"Then I suppose you don't want to see Doctor Weir again?"
He heard a spit take, some spluttering, and several curses.
"You better have a good reason for saying that, Sheppard; I just spat coffee all over my computer!"
John couldn't help laughing for a few moments at the image. When he got control of himself again, he said
"Did you hear what I said?"
"Of course I heard what you said. Are you out of your mind? Who told you? What about that replicator that said that the real Elizabeth was dead?"
"To your first question, no I am not out of my mind. The answer to the second question is General O'Neill told me. Apparently he's known for the past seven years. And as for that replicator, I don't know about that one, maybe they thought that since I was looking for her, maybe they'd be able to find her before me."
Rodney was silent for a few moments, which was a miracle in of itself. He then said,
"I suppose I should head out there Sheppard. Where are you?"
"I'm in Sedona. It's about two and a half hours north of Phoenix on I-17. I'll pick you up when your flight arrives tomorrow. By the way Carson's heading out here as well."
"You told him first?" Rodney whined.
When he was about to hang up, Rodney said,
"When I get there, I am going to check your pockets for hallucinogens. And if I find any, you will be paying for my flight!"
After he hung up, there was a knock on the door. When he got up and looked through the peephole, it was O'Neill.
"I know you're in there Colonel, I heard you talking."
John rolled his eyes. He opened the door.
Without asking if he could come in, O'Neill made himself comfortable on the couch, stretching his legs out, he asked,
"Who were you talking to?"
"I just finished up talking with Rodney. Before him, I talked with Carson. I thought that I should probably let them know straight away that Elizabeth isn't dead." John said, with a pointed look.
O'Neill looked up to meet John's eyes, but was completely unfazed by the anger in them.
"What?"
"With all due respect sir, you know full well what. There were a few things you left out when you gave me that bomb drop yesterday."
O'Neill smiled slightly to himself before looking back at John to measure his reaction.
"Well you weren't exactly in the talking mood as I recall. How are you enjoying life as a Father?"
Seeing the benign amusement in O'Neill face, John began to feel his temper rise again – the fact that he hadn't been allowed to see his children for six years of his life and, more to the point, didn't even know that they existed was far from amusing to him.
"I haven't exactly had time to adjust the idea yet, Sir.' John said, callously.
O'Neill rolled his eyes, "Look I'm not exactly number one on your Christmas card list at the moment..."
"You're not even on my Christmas card list at the moment." John cut in.
O'Neill was completely unfazed by this and continued, "but you could at least crack a smile – you've got two great kids and Elizabeth's alive. Now, do you want to get some dinner Sheppard? There is a great little steak joint in town."
The fact that O'Neill had had the chance to work out where was good to eat in town didn't go unnoticed by Sheppard and, if anything, soured his opinion of the General even more.
"I'm fine."
"Don't make me order you Colonel – you're going to need all the energy you can get with those two."
Almost managing a smile, John followed O'Neill out of the room.
"Okay, in the past 48 hours many things have changed for me. One is that Elizabeth is alive. That was enough of a shock. Today I found out, that not only is she alive, she's the mother of my children. The IOA have a lot to answer for, and I'm not going to stop until those that need to be punished are punished and I'm going to get both Elizabeth and the kids back."
A/N 2: So… What did you guys think? I couldn't have John being the only one getting some sympathy! Tell me what you think by pressing the little blue button. It makes updates come faster!