Author's Chapter Notes: Nearly finished. Just an epilogue to go.
Elizabeth linked her fingers with John's, watching the party around them. Their wedding reception.
"I don't think Rodney and Radek will be getting much work done tomorrow," she said softly, watching the scientists starting on their second bottle of wine. Neither of them was too good at handling alcohol. She could only imagine how they'd be in the morning.
"Forget them," John insisted, "we have more important things to think about.. like a honeymoon for example."
"Yeah?"
John smirked at her, "Yeah."
Elizabeth raised a questioning eyebrow "So do you have any plans for this honeymoon?"
"Hmmm," John tugged on her hand, moving towards the wall, sitting in a conventiently located chair and pulling her into his lap. "I'm sure I can think of some ways to keep you entertained."
Elizabeth smiled, "I'm sure you can."
"Are you disappointed?" he asked suddenly, "I mean I know you wanted to have Abby as your bridesmaid, but.."
Elizabeth twisted to face him, "We're married. We're in our city. Our friends are having fun. I could never be disappointed with that."
John pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and wrapped his arms around her. "Good." he whispered.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Teyla and Ronon went about clearing away some of the mess from the wedding party. The marriage of two of their leaders had gone without a hitch. Teyla herself had performed the ceremony, while Kate and Rodney had attended the bride and groom.
The newlyweds had retired to their quarters, and Teyla had issued stern instructions to Ronon and Rodney to leave them alone. She had Ronon under her watchful eye, and was sure from her last sighting of Rodney as he and Zelenka stumbled off to their lab to play computer games that neither of them was up to causing too much trouble.
"You did a good job," a voice said behind her.
Teyla turned, smiling at Colonel Caldwell, "Thank you."
"Too bad their honeymoon consists of three days on the mainland, but I guess at least they're getting some time alone."
Teyla nodded, "it has been a long time coming, as your people say."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John Sheppard woke early the next morning. He opened one eye, blinking in the sunlight, and turned, curling back towards Elizabeth.
"You awake?" he asked, twisting a curl of her hair around the fingers of his right hand.
She smiled, "Yeah.."
"You want to get going?"
"Nope."
John laughed, "Lizzy, I know you're not big on mornings, but we only have three days away... think of it, you, me, a beach hut, no sign of Rodney or Caldwell..."
"What time is it?" she asked with a sigh.
"Six."
"Hmmm," she reached out for his left hand, feeling the band of platinum around his ring finger. "Just give me another half hour. I want to have a sleep in with my new husband."
John kissed her forehead, "Whatever you say."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"I swear, if you try to pass that off as your own work when Elizabeth gets back..."
"But it is my own work!" Radek Zelenka insisted. "You simply assisted, and you know it."
"Oh, no, no, no. No you don't.."
Ronon watched the two, glancing to one, then the other as the conversation continued, got louder, and turned into a screaming match with occasional Czech words thrown in from an increasingly angry Dr Zelenka.
"What's their problem?" Colonel Caldwell asked.
Ronon shrugged. "Do I look like I care? I'm just here to see which one throws a punch first.."
Caldwell frowned. "Anyone know where Teyla is? Heightmeyer? Anyone else who can shut these two up?"
"Just you wait until Elizabeth gets back!" Rodney yelled, his voice turning high pitched.
"Oh, you think just because you were best man she's going to side with you? I dont think so!"
"You want to put money on that?"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elizabeth linked her arm through John's as they exited the jumper. Three days had gone so quickly. She was concerned about the state of the city without them, and hoped Caldwell had managed to keep Rodney's ego in check.
"What do you say we hit the hay?" John interupted her thoughts.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "You can't be serious."
"Why not?"
She laughed, "John, it's eight o'clock. I think we should at least put in an appearance for half an hour before we disappear to our room."
"Do we have to?"
She squeezed his arm, "Yes, we have to."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elizabeth gave John a concerned look as she registered the screaming coming from her office. One of the voices definitely belonged to Rodney, and the second, going by the accent, couldn't belong to anyone but Radek.
"What the hell?"
She shrugged, "So much for Caldwell keeping him in line..."
Colonel Caldwell chose that moment to interject, screaming at the two to grow up and shut up.
There was silence for about three seconds before they were at it again.
"You really want to walk into that?" John asked, noticing the ongoing mentioning of Elizabeth's name.
"Maybe you had the right idea..."
John smiled, "I thought you'd see it my way."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It was three hours before anyone noticed that John and Elizabeth should have arrived home. Three hours before two sets of heavy boots were heard marching down their corridor. Three hours before Rodney's plaintive voice was calling for them.
John sighed, "Do you want to tell him to shove off, or should I?"
Elizabeth smirked at him, "Let me handle this."
She readied herself for the onslaught, seconds before the door opened.
"Elizabeth!" Both Rodney and Radek spoke at once, immediately rambling on, trying to out yell each other.
"Gentlemen!"
Both stopped at the sound of her stern voice, looking questioningly at her.
"Uh, yeah?" Rodney glanced at Zelenka.
"Aren't you going to ask how our trip was?"
"Oh, uh, yeah, how was it?" Rodney threw another confused and frustrated glance at Zelenka.
"Wonderful, though we didn't get much of a tan, we actually spent most of our time in the hut because we ..."
Zelenka started coughing, and Rodney quickly interjected "Oh, no, no, too much information, I don't want to know what went on in the hut..."
"No..." Zelenka was bright red in the face by now, "No we should go, we really should..."
"Yeah, we're just going to go... thinking of you... and him," Rodney pointed to a smirking John Sheppard behind Elizabeth, "It's just... no, it's just like thinking of your parents, it's just... "
"Wrong," Zelenka finished.
Rodney knodded, "Wrong. Definitely wrong."
"So you agree on that?" Elizabeth asked sweetly.
The scientists glanced at each other, confused, before nodding.
"Great, now go and see if you can manage to agree on whatever it is you've been fighting about all day before I see you in my office tomorrow."
"Uh, okay, I guess we'll...."
"Ten o'clock. Be there," Elizabeth said, as the door slid shut, obscuring the shocked faces of the team's two most senior scientists.
John burst out laughing as Elizabeth turned to face him.
"You know, I think you've been spending too much time with me."
Elizabeth closed in on him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I don't think that's possible," she whispered.
"I don't think Rodney and Radek will be getting much work done tomorrow," she said softly, watching the scientists starting on their second bottle of wine. Neither of them was too good at handling alcohol. She could only imagine how they'd be in the morning.
"Forget them," John insisted, "we have more important things to think about.. like a honeymoon for example."
"Yeah?"
John smirked at her, "Yeah."
Elizabeth raised a questioning eyebrow "So do you have any plans for this honeymoon?"
"Hmmm," John tugged on her hand, moving towards the wall, sitting in a conventiently located chair and pulling her into his lap. "I'm sure I can think of some ways to keep you entertained."
Elizabeth smiled, "I'm sure you can."
"Are you disappointed?" he asked suddenly, "I mean I know you wanted to have Abby as your bridesmaid, but.."
Elizabeth twisted to face him, "We're married. We're in our city. Our friends are having fun. I could never be disappointed with that."
John pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and wrapped his arms around her. "Good." he whispered.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Teyla and Ronon went about clearing away some of the mess from the wedding party. The marriage of two of their leaders had gone without a hitch. Teyla herself had performed the ceremony, while Kate and Rodney had attended the bride and groom.
The newlyweds had retired to their quarters, and Teyla had issued stern instructions to Ronon and Rodney to leave them alone. She had Ronon under her watchful eye, and was sure from her last sighting of Rodney as he and Zelenka stumbled off to their lab to play computer games that neither of them was up to causing too much trouble.
"You did a good job," a voice said behind her.
Teyla turned, smiling at Colonel Caldwell, "Thank you."
"Too bad their honeymoon consists of three days on the mainland, but I guess at least they're getting some time alone."
Teyla nodded, "it has been a long time coming, as your people say."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John Sheppard woke early the next morning. He opened one eye, blinking in the sunlight, and turned, curling back towards Elizabeth.
"You awake?" he asked, twisting a curl of her hair around the fingers of his right hand.
She smiled, "Yeah.."
"You want to get going?"
"Nope."
John laughed, "Lizzy, I know you're not big on mornings, but we only have three days away... think of it, you, me, a beach hut, no sign of Rodney or Caldwell..."
"What time is it?" she asked with a sigh.
"Six."
"Hmmm," she reached out for his left hand, feeling the band of platinum around his ring finger. "Just give me another half hour. I want to have a sleep in with my new husband."
John kissed her forehead, "Whatever you say."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"I swear, if you try to pass that off as your own work when Elizabeth gets back..."
"But it is my own work!" Radek Zelenka insisted. "You simply assisted, and you know it."
"Oh, no, no, no. No you don't.."
Ronon watched the two, glancing to one, then the other as the conversation continued, got louder, and turned into a screaming match with occasional Czech words thrown in from an increasingly angry Dr Zelenka.
"What's their problem?" Colonel Caldwell asked.
Ronon shrugged. "Do I look like I care? I'm just here to see which one throws a punch first.."
Caldwell frowned. "Anyone know where Teyla is? Heightmeyer? Anyone else who can shut these two up?"
"Just you wait until Elizabeth gets back!" Rodney yelled, his voice turning high pitched.
"Oh, you think just because you were best man she's going to side with you? I dont think so!"
"You want to put money on that?"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elizabeth linked her arm through John's as they exited the jumper. Three days had gone so quickly. She was concerned about the state of the city without them, and hoped Caldwell had managed to keep Rodney's ego in check.
"What do you say we hit the hay?" John interupted her thoughts.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "You can't be serious."
"Why not?"
She laughed, "John, it's eight o'clock. I think we should at least put in an appearance for half an hour before we disappear to our room."
"Do we have to?"
She squeezed his arm, "Yes, we have to."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elizabeth gave John a concerned look as she registered the screaming coming from her office. One of the voices definitely belonged to Rodney, and the second, going by the accent, couldn't belong to anyone but Radek.
"What the hell?"
She shrugged, "So much for Caldwell keeping him in line..."
Colonel Caldwell chose that moment to interject, screaming at the two to grow up and shut up.
There was silence for about three seconds before they were at it again.
"You really want to walk into that?" John asked, noticing the ongoing mentioning of Elizabeth's name.
"Maybe you had the right idea..."
John smiled, "I thought you'd see it my way."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It was three hours before anyone noticed that John and Elizabeth should have arrived home. Three hours before two sets of heavy boots were heard marching down their corridor. Three hours before Rodney's plaintive voice was calling for them.
John sighed, "Do you want to tell him to shove off, or should I?"
Elizabeth smirked at him, "Let me handle this."
She readied herself for the onslaught, seconds before the door opened.
"Elizabeth!" Both Rodney and Radek spoke at once, immediately rambling on, trying to out yell each other.
"Gentlemen!"
Both stopped at the sound of her stern voice, looking questioningly at her.
"Uh, yeah?" Rodney glanced at Zelenka.
"Aren't you going to ask how our trip was?"
"Oh, uh, yeah, how was it?" Rodney threw another confused and frustrated glance at Zelenka.
"Wonderful, though we didn't get much of a tan, we actually spent most of our time in the hut because we ..."
Zelenka started coughing, and Rodney quickly interjected "Oh, no, no, too much information, I don't want to know what went on in the hut..."
"No..." Zelenka was bright red in the face by now, "No we should go, we really should..."
"Yeah, we're just going to go... thinking of you... and him," Rodney pointed to a smirking John Sheppard behind Elizabeth, "It's just... no, it's just like thinking of your parents, it's just... "
"Wrong," Zelenka finished.
Rodney knodded, "Wrong. Definitely wrong."
"So you agree on that?" Elizabeth asked sweetly.
The scientists glanced at each other, confused, before nodding.
"Great, now go and see if you can manage to agree on whatever it is you've been fighting about all day before I see you in my office tomorrow."
"Uh, okay, I guess we'll...."
"Ten o'clock. Be there," Elizabeth said, as the door slid shut, obscuring the shocked faces of the team's two most senior scientists.
John burst out laughing as Elizabeth turned to face him.
"You know, I think you've been spending too much time with me."
Elizabeth closed in on him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I don't think that's possible," she whispered.