CHAPTER 26 – CLOSURE OR REOPENING

"I'm proud of you Gina, and I know dear old dad will be too... that took a lot of guts. To face down your demons like that, and you did it with such cool!" They cleared the barracks and once away from prying eyes he pulled her tightly into his arms and held her, letting her scent drift over him and racing heart which now beat at an alarming rate, slow down.

"God John,that was so hard. Looking at him like that, and remembering what he did. But he does deserve another chance – or even if not him, then his brother deserves to remember him as a good person. He needs to go on to be the man that he is supposed to be. His father? That was a tough one. Knowing a part of the future is the worst thing imaginable. Perhaps not... perhaps knowing and not being able to do a damn thing about it... that is worse."

"Yet Callandra does it without impunity... where does she draw the line...?" John murmured this last comment and turning Gina slightly, he tucked her against his side and they moved off through the area known as Pearl Harbour where more ghosts than live people walked.

"Where to now John?" She wrapped one arm around his waist, knowing that their time together was shortening by the hour and needing to hang onto him for as long as she could.

"The waterfall... I need to put the personal shield into the deeper pool. It gets carried to the exact area where Walter falls into the ocean. It will take all that time to reach it's location. Exact science? Nah... a meddling ancient whose presence sits on my shoulder like a damn monkey telling me what to do..." He patted his pocket. "So I came prepared. One ancient personal shield."

She had stilled at the mention of the waterfall, simply stopped walking. "You're leaving then? Once you put the device in the water?" He saw the spark of terror in her eyes and wanted nothing more than to chase it away. Forever.

"Not yet Gina... the games still in the second quarter and the quarterback's about to issue instructions for the new play. And the ball is passed to... Sheppard!"

She punched him then, hard and pulling away she started to walk fast – her intention to put distance between herself and his teasing. Cursing himself for his inept handling of this situation, he quickly caught up with her. "Damn, I'm sorry Gina. Stupid thing to say – I use humour to cover what I really feel – I'm sure you've already picked that up. I can't help it. The alternative is cry and I want to make you laugh, not cry."

Her face when she turned it to him was damp with tears. "Don't make me beg John. Take me with you. I have no life left here..."

"Don't say that!" His voice held anger now. "Did you not see your father's face when he heard? It was the end for him – to take you away before? He'll never see you again! At least this way he has more time..."

"Damn it John! What would be worse? Watching your daughter die even if you've had a few more precious months with her – or knowing she's somewhere else – at least safe and happy. Put yourself in his shoes, I know you tried, but you didn't see the whole picture. Talk to him. Give him the choice. Don't make it for us. I want to be with you, and I know you want the same thing. You're denying us the chance that we have been given – given by someone who has the power to do this. Instead of questioning it and finding fault in it, can't we just take it... please?"

He didn't know what to tell her. He didn't really know himself why he felt it so important not to chance what had been set into place. Damn yes, he wanted her. And wanted her safe. But he knew that Callandra had another reason for him to take her back to Atlantis, and he suspected that it was this unknown reason, that held him back now. Too many things left unsaid. Too many half truths.

"We need to go to the waterfall now Gina. Right now. Do what needs to be done. We'll deal with everything else after. There's an order and I have to make sure it's followed. I know we have to deal with everything else – but after. We'll make our decisions together.. I promise."

Her gaze now held hope and his heart shifted a little. He had to make the right choices. It was more than one heart that rode the line and if his choices were wrong, then the consequences would filter through not just the people here that were affected, but those in his timeline. His hand went to her face and wiped the dampness away.

"Know this Gina. Whatever happens today, tomorrow or in the next fifty years. I've fallen in love with you. No one will take that away from me, or you. That one's for us." And he lowered his head to kiss her hard, tasting her salty tears and feeling that same tilt of the earth's axis that O'Neill had felt. Things were shifting. He had to complete what he set out to do.