Birthday fic!
Title: Journey Home
Rating: R
Category: Sheppard/Weir
Spoilers: none
Beta: lone_pyramid, who is really all kinds of awesome!
Summary: "I wish you could have crashed the jumper a little nearer to the gate."
A/N: For emily_sheppard! Happy Birthday, Kes! You're a great friend and awesome in so many ways and I hope you have a wonderful day today! *huggles*
“Think of it as a short vacation.”
She only glares at him and walks on, wiping a sweaty curl from her face. Days are long and hot on this planet and the sun is burning down on them without mercy. She’s grateful when they reach the forest that has been looming ahead of them for the last few hours.
She sinks to the ground in the shadow of a particularly large tree, leaning her back against the trunk and closing her eyes. “Can we stay here for a few minutes?”
“Sure.” He sits down next to her and she watches him out of the corner of her eye. His arms are resting on his knees, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. “You still mad at me?” He wants to know.
He sounds so insecure she almost wants to laugh. “I was never mad at you. It wasn’t your fault. I just wish you could have crashed the jumper a little nearer to the gate.”
“I’ll remember that for next time,” he promises, grinning. Then he gets up. “If we walk a few more hours we should be back at the gate in about two days.”
She gets up after him. “Okay.”
**
They stumble upon the remnants of a village when they come out of the forest. There isn’t much left of it. Whoever lived here abandoned the place centuries ago.
They are in Pegasus so they don’t have to guess why.
Grass has grown over collapsed walls and broken down buildings, but it’s still possible to see that these were once houses.
For a moment Elizabeth can almost see the people who lived here, who called this place their home and filled it with life and laughter and stories and song. People like herself with hopes and worries of their own, with friends and families.
She thinks of the horrors they had probably faced before their end, of families being torn apart, friends losing friends, hopes being destroyed.
They were happy once and all that’s left of them now are these cold stones covered with moss, the sad remnants of an entire civilization.
It’s their memorial now, but no living person remembers them and as much as she might want to, even she can’t. She has no idea who they were.
This is a ghost town and she shudders and involuntarily takes a step closer to John.
“Let’s go,” he says, and she nods reluctantly. She wants to get away, but can’t help thinking that these people will die all over again if she leaves them now. Someone has to remember them and she decides to send a team of archeologists once they are back in Atlantis.
She stays close to John as they walk on.
**
She stands with her back to the fire, looking up to the stars that are different from the ones she sees in Atlantis.
She more feels than hears John step up to her and turns around to him.
They found more ruins on their way. The Wraith have been thorough. It occurs to her that there’s no one here but them. No one else.
It’s not cold, but she shivers a little as he smiles at her.
And then, among the dead ruins of a long forgotten people he kisses her for the first time and she doesn’t find it in her to push him away.
**
“The sooner we get off this rock the better.” She’s tired, tired of walking, tired of being away from her city. They’re walking through the outskirts of this forest that just doesn’t seem to end.
“There are worse places we could have crashed.”
“I would have preferred to not crash anywhere.”
“Look on the bright side, ‘Lizabeth.” John nudges her with his shoulder. “You get a few days off.”
“I have work to do.”
“The city will still be there when we get back.” Here on this planet his words sound a lot more serious than they were meant to.
“What if something happens while-”
“Stop worrying!” He’s still wearing his sunglasses but she knows he’s rolling his eyes. “Just enjoy the fact that you get a few extra days off.”
“I like to decide when I take my time off.”
“You can’t always be in control.”
She’s silent for a while because she knows he’s right. Still, she can’t give up completely. “This isn’t really my idea of a vacation, anyway. Too much walking.”
**
They set up camp when the sun begins to set -- not far away from the forest, which is definitely a lot bigger than she remembered from flying over it two and a half days ago. John proves his manliness by making a fire and they share some more of their strictly rationed provisions.
They don’t talk much, but there’s nothing uncomfortable about the silence. It’s peaceful, actually, sitting side by side in front of the fire on one of the blankets they brought from the jumper and Elizabeth thinks that maybe this isn’t so bad. Getting away from everything and everyone for a while. No meetings, no urgent problems to deal with, no emails and radio transmissions.
She decides that this night is too beautiful for her to worry about things she can’t change.
The people who used to inhabit this world must have loved it. For a moment she wonders whether a planet is capable of missing its inhabitants when they’re no longer there. But she has worried enough for one day and she’s tired and forces herself to push the thought away.
She leans her head against John’s shoulder and breathes in deeply, taking in the scent of trees and earth and fire and the man beside her. “Maybe I should thank you for crashing the jumper.”
He kisses her forehead. “You’re welcome.” He pauses. “And tomorrow I’ll get you back to your city.”
She knows he will.
**
She’s unused to the sounds of a forest at night, more so on an alien world, but she’s not afraid. The rustling of the wind in the nearby trees sounds a bit like the ocean and the grass is soft underneath her.
She curls up against John. She likes having him all to herself like this. She has always liked that, even when she was just calling him her friend. She’s not sure what to call him now, but it’s obvious that something has changed between them.
It doesn’t really feel like much of a change, though, not in the way she thinks about him.
He rolls onto his side, bringing his face close to hers. His fingers trail a path down her cheek, just barely touching her skin, and she is the one to finally close the distance and kiss him.
Nights on this planet don’t get very cold and they have their fire so she doesn’t hesitate for one moment when his hands slip under her shirt and his lips travel from her mouth down to her neck. She’s a little amazed at her lack of doubt about this.
They undress each other slowly and she closes her eyes as she feels his hands ghosting over her skin. She can’t remember why they hadn’t done this long ago. His lips find hers again as he settles between her thighs and she threads her fingers through his hair, kissing him hungrily until they’re out of breath.
He enters her slowly and starts moving deep inside of her as she wraps her legs around his back. His lips reclaim her mouth in a sloppy kiss. She only wants him closer, wants to see him, hear him, taste him, feel him, until all her senses are filled with him.
It doesn’t take long before she feels it building inside her. She closes her eyes as her body tenses and he presses his face against her neck and breathes her name.
There’s no one here who can hear them so she doesn’t keep herself from crying out as she comes, clinging to John hard enough to leave marks.
**
He rolls onto his back, taking her with him and she drapes an arm across his chest.
The fire has almost burned down and the sunlight is completely gone and she snuggles closer to him as he wraps them both in the second blanket from the jumper.
“Maybe I do like this place a little,” she confesses.
He places a kiss on her nose and smiles. “What changed your mind?”
She leans up and captures his lips in a short kiss. “Nothing in particular.”
“And I thought maybe I had something to do with it.” He pouts at her.
“Maybe you had.” She sighs and closes her eyes. His arms tighten around her and she feels a sudden rush of affection running through her.
They are the only two people on this world that has been abandoned centuries ago.
Right now, they don’t care.
**
They turn away from the forest the next morning and follow the line of a river that will take them in the general direction of the gate. John estimates they should be there before nightfall, meaning they can spend the next night in their own beds. Bed. They will have to see about that once they are back home.
She thinks of meetings and reports and problems waiting for her. She would never trade her city for anything but sometimes a little time away is not entirely unwelcome.
John looks at her and grins. He doesn’t need to ask what she is thinking about. “You know, we can always come back here. Or I can always crash the jumper on purpose somewhere else.”
She links her fingers with his and smiles.
Rating: R
Category: Sheppard/Weir
Spoilers: none
Beta: lone_pyramid, who is really all kinds of awesome!
Summary: "I wish you could have crashed the jumper a little nearer to the gate."
A/N: For emily_sheppard! Happy Birthday, Kes! You're a great friend and awesome in so many ways and I hope you have a wonderful day today! *huggles*
“Think of it as a short vacation.”
She only glares at him and walks on, wiping a sweaty curl from her face. Days are long and hot on this planet and the sun is burning down on them without mercy. She’s grateful when they reach the forest that has been looming ahead of them for the last few hours.
She sinks to the ground in the shadow of a particularly large tree, leaning her back against the trunk and closing her eyes. “Can we stay here for a few minutes?”
“Sure.” He sits down next to her and she watches him out of the corner of her eye. His arms are resting on his knees, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. “You still mad at me?” He wants to know.
He sounds so insecure she almost wants to laugh. “I was never mad at you. It wasn’t your fault. I just wish you could have crashed the jumper a little nearer to the gate.”
“I’ll remember that for next time,” he promises, grinning. Then he gets up. “If we walk a few more hours we should be back at the gate in about two days.”
She gets up after him. “Okay.”
**
They stumble upon the remnants of a village when they come out of the forest. There isn’t much left of it. Whoever lived here abandoned the place centuries ago.
They are in Pegasus so they don’t have to guess why.
Grass has grown over collapsed walls and broken down buildings, but it’s still possible to see that these were once houses.
For a moment Elizabeth can almost see the people who lived here, who called this place their home and filled it with life and laughter and stories and song. People like herself with hopes and worries of their own, with friends and families.
She thinks of the horrors they had probably faced before their end, of families being torn apart, friends losing friends, hopes being destroyed.
They were happy once and all that’s left of them now are these cold stones covered with moss, the sad remnants of an entire civilization.
It’s their memorial now, but no living person remembers them and as much as she might want to, even she can’t. She has no idea who they were.
This is a ghost town and she shudders and involuntarily takes a step closer to John.
“Let’s go,” he says, and she nods reluctantly. She wants to get away, but can’t help thinking that these people will die all over again if she leaves them now. Someone has to remember them and she decides to send a team of archeologists once they are back in Atlantis.
She stays close to John as they walk on.
**
She stands with her back to the fire, looking up to the stars that are different from the ones she sees in Atlantis.
She more feels than hears John step up to her and turns around to him.
They found more ruins on their way. The Wraith have been thorough. It occurs to her that there’s no one here but them. No one else.
It’s not cold, but she shivers a little as he smiles at her.
And then, among the dead ruins of a long forgotten people he kisses her for the first time and she doesn’t find it in her to push him away.
**
“The sooner we get off this rock the better.” She’s tired, tired of walking, tired of being away from her city. They’re walking through the outskirts of this forest that just doesn’t seem to end.
“There are worse places we could have crashed.”
“I would have preferred to not crash anywhere.”
“Look on the bright side, ‘Lizabeth.” John nudges her with his shoulder. “You get a few days off.”
“I have work to do.”
“The city will still be there when we get back.” Here on this planet his words sound a lot more serious than they were meant to.
“What if something happens while-”
“Stop worrying!” He’s still wearing his sunglasses but she knows he’s rolling his eyes. “Just enjoy the fact that you get a few extra days off.”
“I like to decide when I take my time off.”
“You can’t always be in control.”
She’s silent for a while because she knows he’s right. Still, she can’t give up completely. “This isn’t really my idea of a vacation, anyway. Too much walking.”
**
They set up camp when the sun begins to set -- not far away from the forest, which is definitely a lot bigger than she remembered from flying over it two and a half days ago. John proves his manliness by making a fire and they share some more of their strictly rationed provisions.
They don’t talk much, but there’s nothing uncomfortable about the silence. It’s peaceful, actually, sitting side by side in front of the fire on one of the blankets they brought from the jumper and Elizabeth thinks that maybe this isn’t so bad. Getting away from everything and everyone for a while. No meetings, no urgent problems to deal with, no emails and radio transmissions.
She decides that this night is too beautiful for her to worry about things she can’t change.
The people who used to inhabit this world must have loved it. For a moment she wonders whether a planet is capable of missing its inhabitants when they’re no longer there. But she has worried enough for one day and she’s tired and forces herself to push the thought away.
She leans her head against John’s shoulder and breathes in deeply, taking in the scent of trees and earth and fire and the man beside her. “Maybe I should thank you for crashing the jumper.”
He kisses her forehead. “You’re welcome.” He pauses. “And tomorrow I’ll get you back to your city.”
She knows he will.
**
She’s unused to the sounds of a forest at night, more so on an alien world, but she’s not afraid. The rustling of the wind in the nearby trees sounds a bit like the ocean and the grass is soft underneath her.
She curls up against John. She likes having him all to herself like this. She has always liked that, even when she was just calling him her friend. She’s not sure what to call him now, but it’s obvious that something has changed between them.
It doesn’t really feel like much of a change, though, not in the way she thinks about him.
He rolls onto his side, bringing his face close to hers. His fingers trail a path down her cheek, just barely touching her skin, and she is the one to finally close the distance and kiss him.
Nights on this planet don’t get very cold and they have their fire so she doesn’t hesitate for one moment when his hands slip under her shirt and his lips travel from her mouth down to her neck. She’s a little amazed at her lack of doubt about this.
They undress each other slowly and she closes her eyes as she feels his hands ghosting over her skin. She can’t remember why they hadn’t done this long ago. His lips find hers again as he settles between her thighs and she threads her fingers through his hair, kissing him hungrily until they’re out of breath.
He enters her slowly and starts moving deep inside of her as she wraps her legs around his back. His lips reclaim her mouth in a sloppy kiss. She only wants him closer, wants to see him, hear him, taste him, feel him, until all her senses are filled with him.
It doesn’t take long before she feels it building inside her. She closes her eyes as her body tenses and he presses his face against her neck and breathes her name.
There’s no one here who can hear them so she doesn’t keep herself from crying out as she comes, clinging to John hard enough to leave marks.
**
He rolls onto his back, taking her with him and she drapes an arm across his chest.
The fire has almost burned down and the sunlight is completely gone and she snuggles closer to him as he wraps them both in the second blanket from the jumper.
“Maybe I do like this place a little,” she confesses.
He places a kiss on her nose and smiles. “What changed your mind?”
She leans up and captures his lips in a short kiss. “Nothing in particular.”
“And I thought maybe I had something to do with it.” He pouts at her.
“Maybe you had.” She sighs and closes her eyes. His arms tighten around her and she feels a sudden rush of affection running through her.
They are the only two people on this world that has been abandoned centuries ago.
Right now, they don’t care.
**
They turn away from the forest the next morning and follow the line of a river that will take them in the general direction of the gate. John estimates they should be there before nightfall, meaning they can spend the next night in their own beds. Bed. They will have to see about that once they are back home.
She thinks of meetings and reports and problems waiting for her. She would never trade her city for anything but sometimes a little time away is not entirely unwelcome.
John looks at her and grins. He doesn’t need to ask what she is thinking about. “You know, we can always come back here. Or I can always crash the jumper on purpose somewhere else.”
She links her fingers with his and smiles.