Relinquish, Part 1
What changes for John and Elizabeth when she relinquishes her hold on the past and her fear of the future? Not episode related, just for fun.
Disclaimer: Don’t own, don’t make any money from my “borrowing” of these beloved characters.
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Elizabeth nestled deep in the plush warmth of the hotel robe savoring the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. She grasped the mug and inhaled deeply allowing the smell of the special dark brew to linger on her nose. Putting the cup down, she rose from the finely upholstered sofa to collect the daily newspaper, still reveling at the thought she was able to indulge in the daily news.
She was supposed to be on vacation, well, partial vacation anyway. The dreaded IOA interviews were finished and she was free to enjoy the remainder of her leave. The previous comfort she’d enjoyed with her life in DC now seemed somewhat disconcerting. Things she had taken for granted before seemed like wondrous luxuries. Chinese food delivery, coffee shops on every corner, and so many lovely little bistros with wine lists longer than mission reports. The streets were overwhelming with heavenly stores stocked gloriously full of clothing, toiletries, and all sorts of frivolous knick knacks. Even this suite she’d somehow been upgraded to at the hotel had only served to enhance her feeling of guilt. She’d been drooling at the thought of the palatial tub, but in reality she found it all rather hard to enjoy.
Even her friends seemed so different. The few nights she’d met up with them, she’d tired quickly of evading their questions about her job and keeping up with their conversations on politics and arts. She was so far out of the loop and in all honestly, she really wasn’t all that bothered b y it. Tonight, she was been looking forward to a late evening with her Lantean crewmates, they were meeting after all their nightly obligations had concluded. John was in town because that’s where his father was residing this week and he’d somehow pressed John into visiting him. Jennifer and Rodney were attending a ceremony for some award before the trek back home. To Atlantis, she corrected herself. She smiled thinking of the majestic city, marveling at how so easily it had become her home.
As she walked down the hallway someone began pounding loudly on her door. Vaguely wondering when housekeeping starting keeping such early hours, her ears perked when a familiar voice hissed “Elizabeth, hurry!”
Peeking through the peephole in the hotel room door, she found only a mass of unruly dark hair. Frowning, she tugged the robe tighter and pulled open the door. “John isn’t it a little early for….” Elizabeth’s words were lost to a wave of laughter. He had the grace to look a bit sheepish as he stood before her clad in only his boxers.
He nervously waggled the newspapers he grasped in his hands. “Got locked out of my room, I was kind of hoping to borrow a robe so I can go to the lobby and get a key. I got your paper for you.”
She found herself wishing he hadn’t drawn her overly appreciative eyes back down his half naked body. Forcing them upward, she found him smirking at her. Before he could speak, the door next to Elizabeth’s suite began to open.
“Simon just call security; don’t go out there, you don’t know what could be going on and…Elizabeth?”
John ducked behind Elizabeth using her as a shield, the newspapers forgotten as they fell to the floor behind him. His hands were firmly on her hips holding her steady before him. Elizabeth froze when she spotted the couple who had entered the hallway each clad in hotel robes identical to her own. Steeling herself, she somehow forced herself to speak. “Hello Simon. Sarah. Now I see why I haven’t been able to reach you this week. You have been busy.”
John’s hand gripped her hips even tighter when she said Simon’s name. She glanced over her shoulder at John, somewhat surprised to find him directing a menacing glare towards Simon.
“I see you have been busy as well Elizabeth.” Sarah’s eyes twinkled as she watched John, oblivious to the bitter currents laced through Elizabeth’s voice.
John cleared his throat behind her and Elizabeth again managed to summon her voice. “Ah, Simon, Sarah this is John Sheppard. He-“
“Is relived you are friends of hers. Just imagine if the Air Force found out one of its Colonel’s was discovered wandering the halls of a hotel half naked, they tend to frown upon that sort of behavior.” John moved out from behind Elizabeth, his left hand trailing slowly across her lower back before pausing and hovering there possessively. He stuck his right hand out and to grab and shake the hand of a still speechless Simon Wallace.
Elizabeth found herself surprised again when she peered at John from the corner of her eye. He had planted his most charming expression upon his face and had now allowed Sarah to take his hand, squeezing it firmly between the two of hers. Only John Sheppard could pull off standing in the middle of a hotel hallway in his boxers like he was adorned in perfectly acceptable attire.
“Colonel? You’ve outdone yourself with this one Elizabeth.” Sarah’s voice oozed like the saccharine taste of coffee with one too many packs of NutraSweet.
The corners of Elizabeth’s lips twitched, John may have been a reputed ladies man but there was a difference between most ladies and the women in the DC political scene. They were the epitome of the term man eater and Sarah’s gaze was causing John’s usually somewhat infallible confidence to somewhat falter and he began to squirm from the scrutiny. “Maybe I should grab that robe; I got locked out getting the paper. Sorry about the ruckus, but you know Elizabeth. She’s hard enough to wake up as it is on the nights we do manage to get a little shut eye.”
“John!” It was Elizabeth’s turn to blush furiously as John snatched the newspapers from the floor, winked and disappeared into her room.
“Enjoying the view Sarah?” Simon asked, clearly uncomfortable to be caught in this situation.
“Don’t look at me like that Simon; I’m still a single woman at least until this evening anyway. I’m allowed to look.” Sarah placed her hand on Simon’s arm and squeezed affectionately.
Elizabeth’s eyes widened as they focused on the rock glistening upon Sarah’s left hand. Though she tried, she knew she probably hadn’t managed to camouflage the hurt from filling her eyes. Sarah looked at her carefully before taking a step forward, she reached out and tentatively touched Elizabeth’s arm. “I thought you knew, I sent the invitation to your mother’s address. I didn’t know where else to send it since you’d given up your house.”
“She’s out of town; I won’t see her until tomorrow. When…how long have you been together?” Elizabeth’s eyes were focused on Simon.
“Simon, you said you told her.” Sarah spun around towards Simon.
“Well, he may have told me he’d moved on, but I think I would have remembered him mentioning your name. “ Elizabeth sighed and turned away from them. She looked inside her suite and watched John struggling to secure the robe together. He started spinning in a circle like a dog chasing his tail as his fingers sought an elusive side of the tie. Her lips pressed together as she tried to suppress her laughter.
“Elizabeth, let me throw myself at your mercy. Forgive me? I’ve never felt right about not telling you face to face about the wedding. It’s been making me ill, literally. Will you please say something? Look at me? I am so very sorry that you had to find out like this, but you are like a ghost, it’s been like you weren’t even on this planet! I’ve tried so hard to contact you, I hope you know-“
“Sarah, please. I’m not upset with you. If you…and Simon are happy, well then that’s all I need to know. I care about you both and it eases my heart to know you’ve each found happiness.” Elizabeth’s eyes darted briefly to meet Simon’s and Sarah’s hoping they could sense the truth behind Elizabeth’s words. A half second later though her eyes were again locked upon John’s. She had no idea how she’d found the strength to meet his eyes as he witnessed her near humiliation. She watched as John gave up on the robe’s tie and trotted back towards them.
Sarah expelled a huge gasp of air. “God Elizabeth, you are either the best liar I’ve ever met or you’re on the short list for sainthood. Either way, thank you. I’ve truly missed you. Please come tonight. The ceremony starts at 7pm, the reception immediately after. It’s being held in the Grand Ballroom of this hotel.”
“Sarah, give us a minute will you?” Elizabeth whispered.
“No problem. Elizabeth? “Sarah’s head bobbed back and forth between her and John’s. “You’ve changed. In a good way, I sense. Very nice snag with this one, I’d pretend to be jealous but well, you can already fault me for the sloppy seconds thing.”
Simon sputtered something unintelligible under his breath and began coughing uncomfortably.
Elizabeth watched John close the gap between them. The front of his robe was still open and her gaze wandered from the chiseled muscles of his abdomen up his chest noting the presence of a few silvery hairs mixed in with the others that softly covered his skin. She met his eyes finally blinking, wondering when it was she had crossed that line in her heart. He held her gaze firmly for a moment before reaching out to brush a straying curl off her face.
He slipped a hand around her waist and turned them to face Simon and Sarah. “Well that’s nice of you, but we already have a commitment for this evening. We can probably manage to catch a minute of the reception on our way in. Now if you’ll excuse us…”
John’s hands had found their way onto her shoulders and he was massaging them gently. Sarah laughed, probably realizing Elizabeth had lost the ability to focus coherently when John’s fingers went to work on her neck.
Sarah started tugging Simon back into their room. “Yes, well obviously we have a lot to do as well. Elizabeth, I expect to see you two tonight, you’ll have a lot of friends salivating to meet your Col. Sheppard by the time you arrive. You know them, they’ll be camping outside your hotel room if you don’t make an appearance. Who knows, even Simon may have found his ability to speak by then.”
John steered Elizabeth back inside her room and secured the door behind them before moving around to face her. “We’ve been here what, four days Elizabeth? I can no longer count on my fingers the amount of times we’ve encountered your so called friends. Every time, I’ve questioned if in fact I want to continue considering myself to be your friend. He was your fiancée, she is your friend?”
“My best friend.” She whispered and watched him wince in response. “John, it's different with us and you know it.” She said unable to suppress the wavering in her tone.
John tilted his head towards her as his fingers laced through her own, grasping her right hand tightly. He smiled weakly. “I know.”
Their eyes locked and Elizabeth’s thoughts drifted, remembering all they’d endured together. They both knew their relationship, along with the other friendships they’d harbored on Atlantis, had developed into something much deeper than their friends on Earth could ever thoroughly appreciate. Again, she wasn’t even entirely sure she minded though she was aware of that loss, the blissful ignorance that could never be hers again.
“John why did you…you didn’t have to pretend-“
“Elizabeth, I don’t know what you’re thinking or what you’re feeling, but it’s clear you’d rather be anywhere but that ballroom tonight. Let me help you. I’ll ensure that you’re dignity escapes without any repercussions. We can have some fun with them tonight, if you’ll let me. “
“Defending my honor again John?” Elizabeth’s eyes took sanctuary in the marbled floor. “You really are a boy scout. But John, it’s really not necessary. I don’t c-”
“We can talk about what I am and what I want to be later. Right now this is about you. I’ll call McKay, they’ll understand. We can see him and Jen tomorrow. I’ll cut out of my father’s shin dig early and pick you up. Unless you’ve changed your mind and want to go with me? “John brushed the same annoying tendril of hair away back from her cheek.
It was tempting. If John was willing to play this part, her friends would never forget her endorsement of Simon and Sarah’s nuptials, never forget how she had moved on. John was strong and enigmatic; he made Simon seem pale in comparison. She knew how all her friends minds worked, and knew their instinct would be to feel sorry for Elizabeth, see her as a victim. That was one role she never wanted to be cast in. But as Sarah had pointed out, she had changed. Those people were no longer her friends, never really had been she could see now. She wasn’t sure she cared much about what they thought of her.
“Elizabeth, I know you’re not the kind of person who would use deceit to make themselves look better to others. But I also know you’re not the kind of person who will allow other peoples guilt to ruin their wedding day, though personally I believe they deserve it. What will make them feel less guilty- if you show up alone or if you bring a date? You don’t have to pretend we’re even together, just let them make their own assumptions. We’ll have a drink, have a dance and then hightail it out of there to the nearest dive with flat beer and stale pretzels.”
Elizabeth found herself laughing. “Now that’s a tempting offer John, but it hardly seems fair to you.”
“I wouldn’t say that, I’m looking forward to spending some time in the company of a man who managed to get Elizabeth Weir to commit to a relationship with him. Maybe I’ll pick up some good tips. I’ll meet you in the lobby bar at 9:00.” John’s eyes had darkened, negating the possibility that anything he’d just said had been in jest.
Elizabeth’s smile faded, she turned her eyes away from his. The short time they’d spent together this morning had pushed her so far beyond the edge of reason she could hardly remember why she’d never allowed herself to think of him in that way. It was too dangerous to open herself up to him. Hell who was she kidding; he’d slipped right under her skin a long time ago. She just still wasn’t sure when he’d taken up so much of the space in her heart.
“It’s a bad idea John.” Elizabeth took a step closer and bent slightly easing her hands behind his waist finding the ties to his robe before straightening her back as she tied it around him. His breathing slowed as she ran her fingers up the edges of the robe intending to pull it more closely together.
“I don’t see what the problem is Elizabeth.” John’s voice was almost a whisper.
“It’s a problem because…” Her fingertips trailed off the sides of the robe onto his chest lightly brushing against the scars he had gained from the Eratus bug and the Wraith feeding. She grasped the sides of the robe again and pulled them snugly together. Striding past him towards the living area of her suite she said, “It felt real when you acted that way John.” She could feel him move behind her, stopping just a few steps away.
He took a step closer and suddenly his breath was hot against her neck. “How did that feel Elizabeth? Because I-”
He was interrupted by someone pounding at her door. The inside of Elizabeth’s head was starting to throb. She stepped away from John and moved down the short hallway and opened the door just a crack.
“Elizabeth! Great! I’m so glad you are here, I was looking for John but he’s not answering his door and when I tried his phone I can hear it ringing inside his room. Where would he have gone without his phone?” McKay paused for a quick breath. “I’m worried, do you think we should have hotel security check his room, there are some crazy people in this town, he could be dead for all we know and-“
Not being able to get a word in edgewise Elizabeth pulled the door open all the way and stepped aside. John was scowling when McKay ploughed into the room towards him still talking as fast as the words could tumble out of his mouth. Elizabeth shook her head as she latched the door and followed.
“Oh thank goodness. I’m on my way out and was afraid I wouldn’t be able to catch either of you before tonight. Listen, I was hoping you two would leave me a voice mail saying something had come up and you couldn’t make it. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I kind of have a thing for Jennifer and I thought, well maybe if we could have an evening alone…” McKay stopped and his head bobbed back and forth between John and Elizabeth. He waggled a finger at John. “You’re in her room. In your robe! Great, guess it won’t be a problem then for you two to find something else to do tonight.” McKay giggled slightly at his own humor.
“No it won’t be a problem McKay, Elizabeth and I have a wedding reception to make an appearance at.” John’s voice emerged as a hiss, his narrowed eyes lowering to Elizabeth’s hands that had begun unconsciously tightening the tie on John’s robe.
Elizabeth gazed vengefully down at her hands. Traitors! She shook her head slightly hoping to shake some of the fog away. Her body was functioning on an all too familiar auto-pilot with John today for some unfathomable reason and just like when they had pretended for Simon and Sarah, her actions didn’t feel wrong. It was instinctive and comfortable and extremely unsettling.
“Boy are you ever grouchy in the morning. Guess you didn’t get much sleep, eh?” McKay cackled slightly.
“Rodney!” Elizabeth gasped.
“No that’s not it either is it; I interrupted, just now didn’t I? Well you didn’t have to open the door! Though if you hadn’t, hotel security would probably be breaking down each of your doors about now. How about I just go.” McKay looked genuinely contrite. “Took the two of you long enough, I’m not going to be the one to stand in the way of your fun!”
“McKay.” John voice was deep and warning.
“I’ll just show myself out.” McKay ambled down the hallway glancing back only once, a broad smile stretching across his face.
Elizabeth turned her eyes back to John’s, they were again directed down. She followed his eyes and found her hand grasping the side of his robe. For the love of…”John why’d you let Rodney believe that we-“
“To show you the sky wouldn’t fall. Elizabeth, I need to go, but promise me you’ll meet me tonight in the bar tonight at 9:00. If you don’t want to go to the reception fine. But either way, it’s time we had a talk. I want you to know-“ The phone on the nearby desk started to ring. “Damn it! It’s like Grand Central Station around here. You’ll be there tonight?”
Elizabeth mutely nodded. John brought his hand up to cup her chin, holding her gaze for a second longer. The phone continued to ring.
A small smile finally crept across John’s face and he brushed his thumb across her cheek. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
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TBC…..
Disclaimer: Don’t own, don’t make any money from my “borrowing” of these beloved characters.
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Elizabeth nestled deep in the plush warmth of the hotel robe savoring the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. She grasped the mug and inhaled deeply allowing the smell of the special dark brew to linger on her nose. Putting the cup down, she rose from the finely upholstered sofa to collect the daily newspaper, still reveling at the thought she was able to indulge in the daily news.
She was supposed to be on vacation, well, partial vacation anyway. The dreaded IOA interviews were finished and she was free to enjoy the remainder of her leave. The previous comfort she’d enjoyed with her life in DC now seemed somewhat disconcerting. Things she had taken for granted before seemed like wondrous luxuries. Chinese food delivery, coffee shops on every corner, and so many lovely little bistros with wine lists longer than mission reports. The streets were overwhelming with heavenly stores stocked gloriously full of clothing, toiletries, and all sorts of frivolous knick knacks. Even this suite she’d somehow been upgraded to at the hotel had only served to enhance her feeling of guilt. She’d been drooling at the thought of the palatial tub, but in reality she found it all rather hard to enjoy.
Even her friends seemed so different. The few nights she’d met up with them, she’d tired quickly of evading their questions about her job and keeping up with their conversations on politics and arts. She was so far out of the loop and in all honestly, she really wasn’t all that bothered b y it. Tonight, she was been looking forward to a late evening with her Lantean crewmates, they were meeting after all their nightly obligations had concluded. John was in town because that’s where his father was residing this week and he’d somehow pressed John into visiting him. Jennifer and Rodney were attending a ceremony for some award before the trek back home. To Atlantis, she corrected herself. She smiled thinking of the majestic city, marveling at how so easily it had become her home.
As she walked down the hallway someone began pounding loudly on her door. Vaguely wondering when housekeeping starting keeping such early hours, her ears perked when a familiar voice hissed “Elizabeth, hurry!”
Peeking through the peephole in the hotel room door, she found only a mass of unruly dark hair. Frowning, she tugged the robe tighter and pulled open the door. “John isn’t it a little early for….” Elizabeth’s words were lost to a wave of laughter. He had the grace to look a bit sheepish as he stood before her clad in only his boxers.
He nervously waggled the newspapers he grasped in his hands. “Got locked out of my room, I was kind of hoping to borrow a robe so I can go to the lobby and get a key. I got your paper for you.”
She found herself wishing he hadn’t drawn her overly appreciative eyes back down his half naked body. Forcing them upward, she found him smirking at her. Before he could speak, the door next to Elizabeth’s suite began to open.
“Simon just call security; don’t go out there, you don’t know what could be going on and…Elizabeth?”
John ducked behind Elizabeth using her as a shield, the newspapers forgotten as they fell to the floor behind him. His hands were firmly on her hips holding her steady before him. Elizabeth froze when she spotted the couple who had entered the hallway each clad in hotel robes identical to her own. Steeling herself, she somehow forced herself to speak. “Hello Simon. Sarah. Now I see why I haven’t been able to reach you this week. You have been busy.”
John’s hand gripped her hips even tighter when she said Simon’s name. She glanced over her shoulder at John, somewhat surprised to find him directing a menacing glare towards Simon.
“I see you have been busy as well Elizabeth.” Sarah’s eyes twinkled as she watched John, oblivious to the bitter currents laced through Elizabeth’s voice.
John cleared his throat behind her and Elizabeth again managed to summon her voice. “Ah, Simon, Sarah this is John Sheppard. He-“
“Is relived you are friends of hers. Just imagine if the Air Force found out one of its Colonel’s was discovered wandering the halls of a hotel half naked, they tend to frown upon that sort of behavior.” John moved out from behind Elizabeth, his left hand trailing slowly across her lower back before pausing and hovering there possessively. He stuck his right hand out and to grab and shake the hand of a still speechless Simon Wallace.
Elizabeth found herself surprised again when she peered at John from the corner of her eye. He had planted his most charming expression upon his face and had now allowed Sarah to take his hand, squeezing it firmly between the two of hers. Only John Sheppard could pull off standing in the middle of a hotel hallway in his boxers like he was adorned in perfectly acceptable attire.
“Colonel? You’ve outdone yourself with this one Elizabeth.” Sarah’s voice oozed like the saccharine taste of coffee with one too many packs of NutraSweet.
The corners of Elizabeth’s lips twitched, John may have been a reputed ladies man but there was a difference between most ladies and the women in the DC political scene. They were the epitome of the term man eater and Sarah’s gaze was causing John’s usually somewhat infallible confidence to somewhat falter and he began to squirm from the scrutiny. “Maybe I should grab that robe; I got locked out getting the paper. Sorry about the ruckus, but you know Elizabeth. She’s hard enough to wake up as it is on the nights we do manage to get a little shut eye.”
“John!” It was Elizabeth’s turn to blush furiously as John snatched the newspapers from the floor, winked and disappeared into her room.
“Enjoying the view Sarah?” Simon asked, clearly uncomfortable to be caught in this situation.
“Don’t look at me like that Simon; I’m still a single woman at least until this evening anyway. I’m allowed to look.” Sarah placed her hand on Simon’s arm and squeezed affectionately.
Elizabeth’s eyes widened as they focused on the rock glistening upon Sarah’s left hand. Though she tried, she knew she probably hadn’t managed to camouflage the hurt from filling her eyes. Sarah looked at her carefully before taking a step forward, she reached out and tentatively touched Elizabeth’s arm. “I thought you knew, I sent the invitation to your mother’s address. I didn’t know where else to send it since you’d given up your house.”
“She’s out of town; I won’t see her until tomorrow. When…how long have you been together?” Elizabeth’s eyes were focused on Simon.
“Simon, you said you told her.” Sarah spun around towards Simon.
“Well, he may have told me he’d moved on, but I think I would have remembered him mentioning your name. “ Elizabeth sighed and turned away from them. She looked inside her suite and watched John struggling to secure the robe together. He started spinning in a circle like a dog chasing his tail as his fingers sought an elusive side of the tie. Her lips pressed together as she tried to suppress her laughter.
“Elizabeth, let me throw myself at your mercy. Forgive me? I’ve never felt right about not telling you face to face about the wedding. It’s been making me ill, literally. Will you please say something? Look at me? I am so very sorry that you had to find out like this, but you are like a ghost, it’s been like you weren’t even on this planet! I’ve tried so hard to contact you, I hope you know-“
“Sarah, please. I’m not upset with you. If you…and Simon are happy, well then that’s all I need to know. I care about you both and it eases my heart to know you’ve each found happiness.” Elizabeth’s eyes darted briefly to meet Simon’s and Sarah’s hoping they could sense the truth behind Elizabeth’s words. A half second later though her eyes were again locked upon John’s. She had no idea how she’d found the strength to meet his eyes as he witnessed her near humiliation. She watched as John gave up on the robe’s tie and trotted back towards them.
Sarah expelled a huge gasp of air. “God Elizabeth, you are either the best liar I’ve ever met or you’re on the short list for sainthood. Either way, thank you. I’ve truly missed you. Please come tonight. The ceremony starts at 7pm, the reception immediately after. It’s being held in the Grand Ballroom of this hotel.”
“Sarah, give us a minute will you?” Elizabeth whispered.
“No problem. Elizabeth? “Sarah’s head bobbed back and forth between her and John’s. “You’ve changed. In a good way, I sense. Very nice snag with this one, I’d pretend to be jealous but well, you can already fault me for the sloppy seconds thing.”
Simon sputtered something unintelligible under his breath and began coughing uncomfortably.
Elizabeth watched John close the gap between them. The front of his robe was still open and her gaze wandered from the chiseled muscles of his abdomen up his chest noting the presence of a few silvery hairs mixed in with the others that softly covered his skin. She met his eyes finally blinking, wondering when it was she had crossed that line in her heart. He held her gaze firmly for a moment before reaching out to brush a straying curl off her face.
He slipped a hand around her waist and turned them to face Simon and Sarah. “Well that’s nice of you, but we already have a commitment for this evening. We can probably manage to catch a minute of the reception on our way in. Now if you’ll excuse us…”
John’s hands had found their way onto her shoulders and he was massaging them gently. Sarah laughed, probably realizing Elizabeth had lost the ability to focus coherently when John’s fingers went to work on her neck.
Sarah started tugging Simon back into their room. “Yes, well obviously we have a lot to do as well. Elizabeth, I expect to see you two tonight, you’ll have a lot of friends salivating to meet your Col. Sheppard by the time you arrive. You know them, they’ll be camping outside your hotel room if you don’t make an appearance. Who knows, even Simon may have found his ability to speak by then.”
John steered Elizabeth back inside her room and secured the door behind them before moving around to face her. “We’ve been here what, four days Elizabeth? I can no longer count on my fingers the amount of times we’ve encountered your so called friends. Every time, I’ve questioned if in fact I want to continue considering myself to be your friend. He was your fiancée, she is your friend?”
“My best friend.” She whispered and watched him wince in response. “John, it's different with us and you know it.” She said unable to suppress the wavering in her tone.
John tilted his head towards her as his fingers laced through her own, grasping her right hand tightly. He smiled weakly. “I know.”
Their eyes locked and Elizabeth’s thoughts drifted, remembering all they’d endured together. They both knew their relationship, along with the other friendships they’d harbored on Atlantis, had developed into something much deeper than their friends on Earth could ever thoroughly appreciate. Again, she wasn’t even entirely sure she minded though she was aware of that loss, the blissful ignorance that could never be hers again.
“John why did you…you didn’t have to pretend-“
“Elizabeth, I don’t know what you’re thinking or what you’re feeling, but it’s clear you’d rather be anywhere but that ballroom tonight. Let me help you. I’ll ensure that you’re dignity escapes without any repercussions. We can have some fun with them tonight, if you’ll let me. “
“Defending my honor again John?” Elizabeth’s eyes took sanctuary in the marbled floor. “You really are a boy scout. But John, it’s really not necessary. I don’t c-”
“We can talk about what I am and what I want to be later. Right now this is about you. I’ll call McKay, they’ll understand. We can see him and Jen tomorrow. I’ll cut out of my father’s shin dig early and pick you up. Unless you’ve changed your mind and want to go with me? “John brushed the same annoying tendril of hair away back from her cheek.
It was tempting. If John was willing to play this part, her friends would never forget her endorsement of Simon and Sarah’s nuptials, never forget how she had moved on. John was strong and enigmatic; he made Simon seem pale in comparison. She knew how all her friends minds worked, and knew their instinct would be to feel sorry for Elizabeth, see her as a victim. That was one role she never wanted to be cast in. But as Sarah had pointed out, she had changed. Those people were no longer her friends, never really had been she could see now. She wasn’t sure she cared much about what they thought of her.
“Elizabeth, I know you’re not the kind of person who would use deceit to make themselves look better to others. But I also know you’re not the kind of person who will allow other peoples guilt to ruin their wedding day, though personally I believe they deserve it. What will make them feel less guilty- if you show up alone or if you bring a date? You don’t have to pretend we’re even together, just let them make their own assumptions. We’ll have a drink, have a dance and then hightail it out of there to the nearest dive with flat beer and stale pretzels.”
Elizabeth found herself laughing. “Now that’s a tempting offer John, but it hardly seems fair to you.”
“I wouldn’t say that, I’m looking forward to spending some time in the company of a man who managed to get Elizabeth Weir to commit to a relationship with him. Maybe I’ll pick up some good tips. I’ll meet you in the lobby bar at 9:00.” John’s eyes had darkened, negating the possibility that anything he’d just said had been in jest.
Elizabeth’s smile faded, she turned her eyes away from his. The short time they’d spent together this morning had pushed her so far beyond the edge of reason she could hardly remember why she’d never allowed herself to think of him in that way. It was too dangerous to open herself up to him. Hell who was she kidding; he’d slipped right under her skin a long time ago. She just still wasn’t sure when he’d taken up so much of the space in her heart.
“It’s a bad idea John.” Elizabeth took a step closer and bent slightly easing her hands behind his waist finding the ties to his robe before straightening her back as she tied it around him. His breathing slowed as she ran her fingers up the edges of the robe intending to pull it more closely together.
“I don’t see what the problem is Elizabeth.” John’s voice was almost a whisper.
“It’s a problem because…” Her fingertips trailed off the sides of the robe onto his chest lightly brushing against the scars he had gained from the Eratus bug and the Wraith feeding. She grasped the sides of the robe again and pulled them snugly together. Striding past him towards the living area of her suite she said, “It felt real when you acted that way John.” She could feel him move behind her, stopping just a few steps away.
He took a step closer and suddenly his breath was hot against her neck. “How did that feel Elizabeth? Because I-”
He was interrupted by someone pounding at her door. The inside of Elizabeth’s head was starting to throb. She stepped away from John and moved down the short hallway and opened the door just a crack.
“Elizabeth! Great! I’m so glad you are here, I was looking for John but he’s not answering his door and when I tried his phone I can hear it ringing inside his room. Where would he have gone without his phone?” McKay paused for a quick breath. “I’m worried, do you think we should have hotel security check his room, there are some crazy people in this town, he could be dead for all we know and-“
Not being able to get a word in edgewise Elizabeth pulled the door open all the way and stepped aside. John was scowling when McKay ploughed into the room towards him still talking as fast as the words could tumble out of his mouth. Elizabeth shook her head as she latched the door and followed.
“Oh thank goodness. I’m on my way out and was afraid I wouldn’t be able to catch either of you before tonight. Listen, I was hoping you two would leave me a voice mail saying something had come up and you couldn’t make it. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I kind of have a thing for Jennifer and I thought, well maybe if we could have an evening alone…” McKay stopped and his head bobbed back and forth between John and Elizabeth. He waggled a finger at John. “You’re in her room. In your robe! Great, guess it won’t be a problem then for you two to find something else to do tonight.” McKay giggled slightly at his own humor.
“No it won’t be a problem McKay, Elizabeth and I have a wedding reception to make an appearance at.” John’s voice emerged as a hiss, his narrowed eyes lowering to Elizabeth’s hands that had begun unconsciously tightening the tie on John’s robe.
Elizabeth gazed vengefully down at her hands. Traitors! She shook her head slightly hoping to shake some of the fog away. Her body was functioning on an all too familiar auto-pilot with John today for some unfathomable reason and just like when they had pretended for Simon and Sarah, her actions didn’t feel wrong. It was instinctive and comfortable and extremely unsettling.
“Boy are you ever grouchy in the morning. Guess you didn’t get much sleep, eh?” McKay cackled slightly.
“Rodney!” Elizabeth gasped.
“No that’s not it either is it; I interrupted, just now didn’t I? Well you didn’t have to open the door! Though if you hadn’t, hotel security would probably be breaking down each of your doors about now. How about I just go.” McKay looked genuinely contrite. “Took the two of you long enough, I’m not going to be the one to stand in the way of your fun!”
“McKay.” John voice was deep and warning.
“I’ll just show myself out.” McKay ambled down the hallway glancing back only once, a broad smile stretching across his face.
Elizabeth turned her eyes back to John’s, they were again directed down. She followed his eyes and found her hand grasping the side of his robe. For the love of…”John why’d you let Rodney believe that we-“
“To show you the sky wouldn’t fall. Elizabeth, I need to go, but promise me you’ll meet me tonight in the bar tonight at 9:00. If you don’t want to go to the reception fine. But either way, it’s time we had a talk. I want you to know-“ The phone on the nearby desk started to ring. “Damn it! It’s like Grand Central Station around here. You’ll be there tonight?”
Elizabeth mutely nodded. John brought his hand up to cup her chin, holding her gaze for a second longer. The phone continued to ring.
A small smile finally crept across John’s face and he brushed his thumb across her cheek. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
___
TBC…..