"Remind me again, why we're here?" whined Rodney McKay as he and his fellow teammates trudged through the woods of the new planet.
"Because you found an ancient database; telling us about some strange old home world of people who might know how to defeat the Wraith. You were the one who suggested we go on this mission," replied Sheppard, who had taken the lead as usual.
"I'm taking back my suggestion," murmured Rodney as he glared at his older brother.
"Rodney, perhaps if you tried to enjoy just being out doors. After all, it has been nearly three weeks since you've stepped out of the infirmary, much less off Atlantis," smiled Teyla softly.
"I'd enjoy this more if what we came to find was actually here," stated Rodney quietly.
"We've barely made it twenty feet from the gate, Rodney, try to stay positive," grinned Sheppard as he patted his brother on the shoulder.
"Did you hear that?" Ronan asked suddenly, stopping as he held up his hand.
"Hear what?" Sheppard whispered, looking around as he tried to pick out whatever it was Ronan had heard.
Teyla quietly replied, "I didn't hear anything,"
Rodney opened his mouth to say something but was quickly cut off as a gunshot flew past his head. John and Rodney's eyes immediately stared in horror at what had almost happened.
"Shit!" howled John as they all crouched to the ground while gunfire surrounded them from all sides. "Run!" John yelled as they all turned on their heels, still firing their guns.
Rodney ran as fast as he could, but he wasn't paying near enough attention to the ground. He felt his footing give out from under him as he got caught on a protruding root.
He felt the air in his lungs rush out as he hit the ground face first in what could only be considered a belly flop. His vision spun before him as he tried to gasp for air, only to see his teammates continue their running toward the gate.
After several painful seconds Rodney slowly stood up and began to follow, but he didn't make it more than five feet before he ran head long into a form that suddenly appeared in his way.
Landing on his butt, he looked straight up into the face of a very angry looking man. The stranger was now pointing what looked like a 9mm back at the scientist's head. At that moment, Rodney knew if he didn't at least try to fight and get free, that he would only die later.
He slowly began to back away from the man. Still on his butt, he felt his hand come across a piece of branch, and he grabbed it and began to swing it around. A searing pain ripped through his shoulder as the branch connected with the man's wrist.
With a look of determination on his face, and a hand to his bleeding shoulder, Rodney dove for the dropped gun. He didn't get much more of a chance to use it before the stranger grabbed him by his collar and yanked him from the ground, the man's fist instantly connecting with Rodney's face.
Rodney reeled back in surprise, his hand automatically pulling the trigger. As his world began to blacken he caught sight of his bleeding attacker already lying on the ground opposite of him. He didn't give it another thought as he collapsed to the ground himself, giving up to the pain and darkness grabbing at him from all sides.
"He is alive," spoke a man with bleach blonde hair, who knelt down beside Rodney's prone body and felt his chest for the rising and falling of air.
"Bring him!" spoke another man as he continued to look around, his eyes dark darted through the forest.
"Ja'Na, what of TarNe?" questioned another man.
"Leave him…he is as good as dead," spoke the one called Ja'Na.
The blonde man easily slipped his hands under Rodney's limp shoulders and lifted his body from the ground; seconds later he and Rodney both disappeared in a small burst of white light.
"We must go now, before they come back," commented Ja'Na. The two other men nodded and quickly disappeared as mysteriously as they had appeared.
"Sheppard!" yelled Ronan suddenly as the shooting stopped. He looked at his two friends, and realized they were missing a teammate, "Where's McKay?"
"Damn that man!" hissed John.
"We should go back and look for him," Teyla stated, as she stood and made her way back towards the forest. Nodding the two men quickly followed the Athosian woman.
"Sheppard…its Rodney's hand gun," Ronan said suddenly noticing the 9mm lying on the ground not far from the exit from the forest.
"John!" Teyla called from several feet ahead.
John and Ronan hurried over to her and stopped, stunned to see a man with black hair and a bullet whole just right of his heart. "He is still alive," spoke Teyla quietly.
"Ronan, grab our friend…Wherever McKay went, this guy might have some clue…"
"What about Rodney?" Teyla asked.
"It's not safe here, right now…We'll have to hope he can give us some kind of hint," John said simply as he watched Ronan throw the unconscious man over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.
"…I will heal him…" came a voice that didn't seem at all familiar or close. Groaning slightly, as if trying to announce he was still kicking, Rodney's eyes slowly fluttered open and was surprised to find himself somewhere that he instantly knew wasn't Atlantis.
"He awakes!" called a younger voice.
"Ta'Ner, move child," spoke another voice.
Rodney's panicked eyes suddenly searched the room; he was lying on a bed, in what looked like a wooden cabin or house. He didn't see John, Elizabeth or Carson anywhere nearby. He felt panic rise in his chest, his breathing beginning to speed up.
"Easy…" the voice from earlier murmured.
Rodney's ocean blue eyes turned toward the blonde man. "Who are you? Where am I?" he asked getting scared.
"You will calm down or I will have to put you to sleep again," spoke the man with conviction.
"I...I…I'm Rodney McKay…United States Air Force," he mumbled, realizing he was lying, but these people wouldn't really care one way or another.
"Very well. I am Ta'Lan," the man stated in an almost civil tone.
"Where am I, what happened?" Rodney asked quietly.
"If you do not recall…I will not explain…," the man stopped, his frighteningly gray eyes searching Rodney's blue ones. With a sigh the man nodded, "You and your people stepped onto the sacred ground of the Calen'ie. We are secretive people. When you stepped onto our grounds, we fired upon you…You shot and killed one of our men," the last part was practically spat out with pure hatred.
"I…I…He shot me first," whispered Rodney in fear.
"Yes…yes he did. You will survive."
"What are you going to do to me?"
"You will be sentenced to the Del'Chi, the highest death sentence for those who kill one of our own."
"And what…what is the Del'Chi…?" whispered Rodney as he pushed painfully up on his elbows.
"You fight the blood of the man you murdered."
"Oh…uh, well I have no fighting skills…at all…," Rodney stated.
"Yes…you will be taught. You should rest."
"I…I…," Rodney shook his head sadly.
"Rest, we will speak again when you wake tomorrow. You will begin training after sunrise."
"Wait…"
"Rest," the man said strongly.
"How is he, doc?" John asked, looking at the man lying on the bed covered in bandages.
"He's lucky to be alive…If Rodney shot him, which I can assume he did, ye should be proud. It was a hell of a shot," Carson said sadly.
"Won't matter if we don't find him….When can I start asking him questions?"
"He should wake up in the next day or so, give him twenty-four hours after that…"
"Doc…Rodney may not have that much time…"
"John, I can't condone anything sooner than that. I'm sorry lad, but that's my final say," stated Carson.
"That's fine…Let me know if anything changes …I'm gonna go talk to Elizabeth."
"I'll let you know if anything develops."
John made his way to Elizabeth's office, finding her going over the file he'd dropped off only hours earlier. She looked up just in time to spot him by the door and smiled hesitantly, waving him into the room.
"Hey," whispered John.
"Hi…I've read the file…What happened, John?"
"I wish I knew, honestly…One minute he was behind us…There was no body…no signs of him aside from his gun. I don't know, we weren't gone long enough for him to get up and go, or for someone to just carry him away…I'm praying he's not injured…"
"I can't send you back there and risk something like this happening again, not until you get some type of information from that man in the infirmary."
"Elizabeth…" John began.
"John, I'm sorry, you know better than anyone that I agree with the 'no man left behind' motto…but it's not safe, and I will not endanger more teams…"
"Elizabeth, we have to go back!"
"And do what John? You don't know if he's still there! I'm sorry I can't do that…John, please…"
"Elizabeth, if we don't go back we could be putting Rodney's life at risk!"
"Damn it, John!" Elizabeth sighed, rubbing her face and eyes, "Listen to me." She paused again, "I…I'm sorry I will not put you at risk. He'll find a way to come home…we'll get him home, I promise you…but he would never forgive me if something happened to you…"
"Elizabeth, I'm sorry…" Shaking his head, John nodded and walked towards her office door.
"John…I love him, too," she whispered.
"I know…and I'm sorry." With a hesitant look at the floor, he looked back at her, "Please let me go back to the planet."
"Talk to our visitor, then we'll discuss it," she said gently.
Rodney was rudely awakened, when what he assumed was the next morning, by a harsh shake and a tight grip on his good shoulder. He was wrenched out of bed and pushed towards the middle of the room.
"Get dressed!" demanded the blonde man as he tossed a shirt at the scientist.
Rodney, too afraid to speak, slowly pulled the shirt over his head, groaning at the pain in his recently healed shoulder. He looked up at the man called Ta'Lan and felt his stomach roll in further fear.
"Let's go!" The man ordered as he grabbed Rodney's arm again and dragged him outside.
Seconds later Rodney found himself standing in the middle of a large circle, surrounded by weapons, on a dirt floor; it looked like some type practice ring.
Ta'Lan shoved a stick into Rodney's hands. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" yelled Rodney. "I'm sorry, but….this whole fighting thing…I'm not the most coordinated man…"
"You will die if you do not learn!"
"Isn't there another way? How about building? I can build anything? Technology? You need technology? I can catch you up to…"
"You will fight!" growled the man getting in Rodney's face.
"Not even chess?" whispered Rodney.
The man sneered evilly, "Fight or die now!"
"Right…" Rodney put his stick out at a forty-five degree angle as Teyla had originally taught him. Rodney never even saw the strike coming until Ta'Lan wiped him off his feet completely. He let out a painful grunt as he hit the ground flat on his back.
"You are pathetic!" spat the man, "I cannot teach one who wishes to die!"
"I don't wish to die!" yelled Rodney as he sat up in pain. He slowly got to his feet, "I am a man of the mind! I can outsmart almost anyone…"
"When you can out run them, then and only then will you be a true warrior!" hissed Ta'Lan.
"I'm not a solider! I'm a scientist!"
"In this galaxy, you cannot be one without the other!" replied the man in fierce anger.
The two men stood there for a moment, inches from the other's face, glaring into each other's defiant eyes. Rodney knew Ta'Lan was correct, if anything Rodney was a threat to his team because of his lacking skills, but he'd always had someone to protect him before. "FINE!" Rodney hissed in disdain as he grabbed his stick back from the Calen'ie.
Days turned into weeks as Rodney gained bruise after bruise, never seeming to pick up on anything Ta'Lan was teaching him. Every kick, punch and drop to the ground. Every day they would awake at the crack of dawn, and work until dusk. If they weren't practicing in the ring, then Rodney was running obstacle courses, exercising.
Rodney couldn't ever remember being run so hard, for so long. He was exhausted and finally collapsed to the ground by the starting line of his obstacle course. Ta'Lan smiled ruefully as he collapsed across from the scientist.
"When can I go home?" whispered Rodney weakly.
"This is not just about your physical ability, McKay. Your ability to fight in this Del'Chi is about your mind, as much as it is your physical ability. You must use everything as one, your mind to plot your next attack, your body to defend the previous one, and your soul to prepare yourself for the entire match. To let your guard down invites loss, you must focus yourself. Find your center, something within yourself to focus upon…to fight for."
"Okay…I think I can do this," whispered Rodney as Ta'Lan suddenly tossed him a stick.
Rodney closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he spread his feet shoulder width apart, and prepared. Slowly opening his eyes he saw the first swing, with a tilt one way of his stick he fended it off, then another near his knees, a swift jab he jumped away from, another tilt. Ta'Lan smiled as he brought his stick away to his side.
"Very well McKay. Not excellent, but give it time, you may finally be learning something."
"Ta'Lan…what would happen…if by some strange fate I won this…Del'Chi?"
"Unlikely…but you would become one of us," answered the man as he handed Rodney the canteen of water.
"Could I go home…I mean to Atlantis?"
"Certainly…"
"I'd like to go home," whispered Rodney.
Ta'Lan nodded, "Then you shall go home. Come, you have worked quite hard today. It is time for supper."
"I'm sorry…really…my gun just went off…" Rodney murmured.
"Perhaps…focus upon going home."
"Tomorrow…will you teach me more fighting?"
"I will teach as much as you wish to know."
"I'd like to know more about your culture, honestly…Could you teach me that as well?"
"My son would be much better at teaching you that," smiled Ta'Lan.
"I'd be eager in learning more…Are you ancients?"
"Ancients?"
"Uh…Builders of the rings?"
"Ah…no, not exactly…We are descendents of the Ancients as you call them: powerful people who never suffered the touch of the Wraith."
"But how? You must know what is going on out there. How do you avoid it?"
"Would you truly like me to show you, McKay?"
"Yes," Rodney said smiling.
Stepping to one side Ta'Lan waved his hand as he kept his free hand on Rodney's arm. Suddenly the city he had stayed in for the past three weeks disappeared under his feet. "Holy …" Rodney gasped as he felt Ta'Lan's hand squeeze his arm.
"You are safe, look below," Ta'Lan replied pointing down.
Rodney's gaze dropped. They looked like they were standing on air, below them, hundreds of feet was the planet, covered in trees, moss, grass, but looked completely barren in the way of humans. "We once used to live in the city of the Ancients…many, many thousands of years ago. Until one day we decided to build a world…away from the harm, to train the finest fighters around, so that one day, with enough forces we could fight and defeat the Wraith. Our fathers before us helped to build us this city…"
"Oh my god…a flying city?" Rodney whispered.
"Perhaps floating would be a better word. We are cloaked up here, the Wraith cannot detect us, and we have spent thousands of years in the safety of our city, away from the Wraith."
"This is amazing," murmured Rodney, grinning.
"It is." With another wave of his hand the city around them reappeared. "If you leave, you cannot tell anyone of this city, McKay…Although, you will always be welcome among our people if you were to return."
Rodney eyed him suspiciously, and then smiled, "I thought we were enemies?"
"Enemies, no…I have great respect for a man who is willing to fight when he is afraid. You have great strength within, McKay, and courage unlike any other I have ever witnessed before. You are in a dangerous place, yet you do not seem afraid of dying."
"I've died before," explained Rodney.
"If you do not fear death, then what is your greatest fear?"
"Not being right," whispered Rodney. "Not in the way your thinking…my people rely on me to be right…they don't mean to, but it always comes down to me being right or wrong. If I'm wrong then people die…I've never actually killed anyone before…not with my own hands or with a gun…"
"I am sorry then, that your first life was my brother," whispered Ta'Lan.
"Your brother…then that means you are who I am fighting?"
"That is correct…Do not worry, I will give you a formidable challenge," grinned Ta'Lan.
"Then why are you teaching me?"
"How else would you learn how to fight me, then to battle the very person you will be fighting?"
"Good point…"
"I need to know what your people have done with my man…"
"He will be killed!" hissed the restrained man from his chair.
"Yeah, we got that part! Where the hell did your people take him?"
"You will never find him!"
"Ronan!" yelled John.
"You cannot save him! If I die, then he dies for sure!"
Ronan stepped into the room, his gun held at his side. John leaned in closer to the man who had called himself Tar'Ne. "You'll tell me how to find my brother NOW…or I will kill you!" hissed John.
Elizabeth sighed as she sat in the mess, her head in her hands, and a cup of coffee sitting in front of her. She had spent the past two hours just staring at it. Three weeks…for three weeks Rodney had been missing, it felt like the Genii kidnapping all over again. She could remember feeling this helpless and hopeless before, she felt lost and scared.
A soft voice interrupted her thoughts, "Elizabeth?"
She looked up finally from her coffee cup and smiled weakly at Teyla, as the Athosian woman joined her. "Hi Teyla…how's our friend?"
"He has told us nothing…Are you all right?"
"Yeah…just thinking," she said softly.
"About Rodney?"
"Yes…"
"It's more than your normal worry, is it not?"
"Well I worry about all my people, but yes…there's more to it than that."
"He is a resourceful man, Elizabeth. I believe in all my heart that he will be fine."
"Yes…me too, but I'm still scared. It gets so frustrating, worrying day after day for him. We're not a couple, dating, seeing each other or even married, but I watch him walk in injured so often and it's terrifying."
"It is hard to watch one you love suffer…I completely understand," Teyla replied.
"I suppose you do," Elizabeth agreed.
Smiling Teyla reached out and gently grasped her friend's hand, "If/if you love him, if we love them; is it not worth waiting to see that they are all right?"
"Yes it is," Elizabeth smiled softly after a moment. "Thank you, Teyla."
"My father says you may beat him tomorrow," spoke Ta'Ner as he sat on Rodney's bed.
"Oh, I doubt that…Your father is far better than me, Ta'Ner, in spirit, body and mind."
"My father says you are a wise man."
"Smart maybe, but not wise. I'm scared…I don't want to die."
"Why?"
Well…I have a brother as well, and a daughter…I also have a nephew about your age. I don't want to leave them…"
"How old is your daughter?"
"Just turned one."
"You love her?"
"With all my being."
"And her mother?"
Rodney paused and smiled for a moment as he thought of Lauryn's mother, "Oh yes, immeasurably."
"My mother died a cycle ago…"
"How?"
"The wraith took her from us. She was visiting another planet when they came."
"I'm so sorry….Every boy should know his mother," whispered Rodney gently.
Ta'Ner seemed to think on that for a moment and shrugged, "My father tells me of her often…it is not the same."
"Never is," whispered Rodney.
"Is your mother dead?"
"Yes…I lost her when I was a few cycles younger than you."
"Does it still hurt?"
"Yes, it's less painful, but yes it still hurts."
"No daughter should be without a father either…" whispered Ta'Ner. "Goodnight, Doctor McKay."
"G'night Ta'Ner."
"Ta'Lan, as the brother, do you wish justice for the blood that has been spilt?" questioned Ja'Na early the next morning.
"No…" came the firm reply as everyone looked at Ta'Lan in confusion. "This man did not commit a crime; he took my brother by accident in fear and protection, not in anger. I cannot fault him for fearing my brother…for I fear him, too," joked Ta'Lan. "McKay has learned much here, he has earned my respect…I wish for him to become one of us."
"Very well," spoke Ja'Na again as he turned to Rodney. "McKay you have spent three weeks in our company. In such time you have changed both yourself and a few hearts. We welcome you into the Calen'ie circle; you will always find friends and refuge among our people for years to come. Welcome to the Calen'ie."
"Thank you, Master Ja'Na." Rodney bowed towards the man, who returned the gesture.
"Go well, Sir McKay, and go in peace."
Bowing again, Rodney followed Ta'Lan from the sanctuary, "Now what?" questioned Rodney as they headed back to the house he had remained in for three weeks.
"I take you home."
"Oh…" Rodney paused a moment, looking around at the beautiful city and smiled, "I'm going to miss this place a little bit."
"We'll miss you, too!" spoke Ta'Ner, smiling.
"Come brother, your friends will have missed you great," smiled Ta'Lan.
"Unscheduled off world activation!" called one of the technicians from the controls.
Elizabeth hurried over to the control room and looked at him. "Who is it?" she whispered. How many times in three weeks had she been disappointed.
"It's Dr. McKay's IDC…"
"OPEN THE GATE!" yelled John as he entered the gate room just in time to hear that it could be his brother. Carson and Teyla right behind him.
With the shield down, three figures stepped through the vortex; the first was the one everyone had waited three weeks to see, the other two they didn't know. Elizabeth couldn't stop herself as she descended the stairs and seconds later had Rodney in a huge hug, holding onto him like she'd never let go.
Rodney slid his arms around her waist, leaning completely into her as he clutched her tight.
"Welcome home," he heard her whisper. She pulled away and smiled softly at him, "We've missed you," she said gently cupping his cheek.
Rodney clutched her hand and smiled as he turned to his friends. "Ta'Lan, Ta'Ner this is Elizabeth," then he paused.
"Lauryn's mother?" asked Ta'Ner.
Rodney chuckled, "Yes." He took another look around, "And this is Atlantis."
"Ta'Lan…" John whispered as he got closer, "I believe we have a friend of yours." Clicking his radio he paused, waiting for Ronan to answer, "Ronan, could you bring our friend to the gate room…"
"Yeah," Ronan's voice rang over the radio.
"I'm Doctor Elizabeth Weir…thank you for bringing Dr. McKay home," Elizabeth spoke with a smile.
"You are very welcome," smiled Ta'Lan.
A few seconds of conversation and Ronan appeared with Tar'Ne. "Brother!" cried Ta'Lan, smiling as he met his brother in a bow and a strong hand shake.
"You're free to go home…" John spoke with strength as he looked on at the two brothers.
"Thank you," Tar'Ne spoke in reply as he eyed Rodney. "I see you before me and I do not see the same man I saw three weeks ago…"
"As your brother would say…I've learned much."
"Good…"
"Remember what you have learned my friend," Ta'Lan spoke as he bowed to Rodney and shook his hand.
"I doubt I'll ever forget."
"You are a warrior now…Farewell, McKay."
The gate was redialed to their home planet and the two men and the boy looked back from the gate and smiled. "Goodbye, Rodney!" called Ta'Ner."
"Goodbye, my friends. Ta'Lan. Ta'Ner."
The gate shut down a few moments later after they stepped through. Rodney smiled softly watching them all go.
"You sonofabitch!" yelled John as he pounced on his brother, hugging him tighter than humanly possible.
"Colonel, you are not the only one who wishes to welcome him home," Teyla spoke smiling.
John grinned as he pulled away from his brother and smiled as Rodney greeted her with a strong hug. Carson stepped up to his friend and smiled, "I've missed ye babbling."
"Oh, gee, thanks," grinned Rodney as he stepped forward and was enveloped in Carson's strong arms. "I've missed you too, Bones."
"Ye have an hour to get cleaned up, and then I want to see ye for a physical."
"Can do," replied Rodney as he turned back to Elizabeth and smiled. "I…" he shook his head. "There is so much to tell you," he whispered.
An hour and a half later, Elizabeth entered the infirmary, to find Rodney seated on one of the beds, waiting while Carson finished up the physical. "How is he, Bones?" she teased.
"Honestly?" Carson smiled and shook his head, "Rodney you are in the best shape I have seen since you arrived here. Ye've lost nearly fifteen pounds, you're stronger, and healthier, and ye've got a wee scar on you shoulder that wasn't there when ye left. But other than that…you're in tip top shape."
"Really?" Elizabeth was surprised.
"Aye, what did ye go through Rodney?" Carson asked.
"That my friend is a story for another time…maybe over a game of chess…But until then, I've got a date," grinned Rodney as he hopped off the bed and eyed Elizabeth.
"Are ye two gonna make this official?" Carson asked.
"We're discussing it," smiled Elizabeth as she took Rodney's offered his arm.
"Am I free to go?" Rodney asked.
"Far be it from me to stop ye. I'll see you for a game of chess later lad."
"Thanks Carson…"
"Rodney," Carson called, pausing, "I've missed ye, and it's nice to have ye back…It's just not the same without you here."
"It wasn't the same without my two best friends, either," smiled Rodney as he looked from Elizabeth to Carson.
"So what did happen?" Elizabeth asked as they sat in the empty mess hall sharing a piece of cake.
"It's hard to explain…They trained me…I guess that's the best way to describe it. They taught me a lot…They also told me to savor those I care about…Elizabeth, I'm sorry if I've carried this out, or made you believe I didn't want to be with you. Truthfully…Liz, they're going to give us a million reasons why you and I can't be together, why any relationship I form with you won't work…but now I'm armed with the one reason why it will…" He paused taking her hands in his, "I love you, that's all I need. Be with me, Elizabeth."
She shook her head and smiled. "Rodney…we are together…" she replied.
"No…I mean be with me. You and me, officially a couple together. I love you, and if I had a ring I'd propose to you right now on this spot…But foolishly I left the ring back in my room. Elizabeth, be with me, forever."
"Rodney…are you asking me to marry you?"
"In a manner, I don't want to spend another day without you. I don't want Lauryn to spend another day without a mom…You're my best friend. I don't care if we ever actually get married, I just want to spend the rest of forever and beyond with you."
"Rodney…we can't…" she began.
"Why, because the military frowns upon it? So what. Then I'll quit, I'll stop working for them, I'll stop working for John…"
"You can't do that, this base needs you. Rodney I need you here with me."
"Elizabeth, I would do anything to be with you, in a heartbeat. I'm not asking you for the world, I'm asking for you to be mine."
"Rodney, you are asking me the world, you're asking me more than I can give you. We're looking at a lot of trouble here, not to mention the fact that people on this base would…"
"When have I ever given a damn what people think?" he yelled, his fist striking the table hard enough to make their plate clatter
"Rodney!" bit Elizabeth.
"No! I want to be with you! I don't care who says what. You're my…you're my girlfriend, damn it! I fell in love with you! Don't you get it? Your love should come first, Elizabeth."
"I agree, but they won't."
"Who cares? Caldwell doesn't have anything to do with your job…"
"Yes, but the people he reports to, do!" bit Elizabeth angrily.
"Am I that worthless? That you're so scared to be with me, that you'd give me up for some job?"
"Wouldn't you! Come on, Rodney, be serious, you can't really look me in the eye and say you'd give all of this up to be with me…"
Rodney's beautiful eyes glossed over and he smiled sadly for a moment, "Yes …I would, in a heartbeat. Please Liz…"
"Rodney…"
He took a step and drew her out of her seat, pulling her into his arms and held fast to her pressing a kiss to her lips. He could feel her rigid body go soft. Finally he pulled away and looked at her, "Elizabeth, I love you with all my heart and soul, you're the first woman I can talk to…Please, be with me."
She shook her head, suddenly looking away, as she felt tears clouding her vision. "They wanted me to give up on you," she whispered.
"But you didn't, why?" He asked, turning her face back towards him.
"Because…I love you, too," she whispered, her hand going to her lips at the thought of those words and how heartfelt they truly were. "I love you," she whispered again.
"I will ask you one more time, Elizabeth. Be with me, forever? Be the mother to my little girl, in spirit, be my wife."
"I won't treat you any different…"
"Wouldn't expect it."
"I'm not ready to take…the big step…not yet…"
"Me either, so don't worry. We'll get there, eventually. I don't want to have sex with you, Elizabeth…Well not initially. And I want to be with you."
"That's sweet. A complete lie," she said grinning, "but sweet…It won't be easy, we're tough, stubborn…"
"Liz, the best part of being with you is arguing with you. You're my equal. I know you're as smart if not smarter than me."
"Wow, you've got this down pat," grinned Elizabeth as she leaned into his arms.
"Be with me."
"I'm with you, forever and always…I love you."
Their lips met to seal the moment.