Author's Chapter Notes: This is the first of what may become a collection. Not from any episode we've seen. It's just an off-world scene.
Rodney McKay let out a soft snort and burrowed deeper into his sleeping bag as John Sheppard stepped over him in his attempt to get closer to the fire.
John moved past Teyla, before coming to settle on the ground next to Elizabeth, kneeling down beside her. He assessed the area. She was close enough to the fire to be warm, but not so close that she'd be in danger from any flying embers.
Ronon was on watch now, and while he should have been resting, John couldn't bring himself to close his eyes. He was always hyper-vigilent when Elizabeth was off-world, feeling the responsibility for her was entirely his.
He glanced towards Ronon, making sure he was still surveying the treeline, before turning and hesitantly pushing a curl of hair behind Elizabeth's ear.
"John.." she murmured.
He stopped, hand raised just over Elizabeth's head. One hundred thoughts were rushing through his head; that she dreamed of him, that she felt the same connection to him that he felt to her, that she..
"John," the whisper was a little louder this time, startling him out of his thoughts.
He dragged himself back to reality, looking down and locking eyes with her by the firelight.
"You should be sleeping," he whispered back with a smile.
"So should you," she countered.
He nodded, smiling.
Elizabeth moved a little, making room for him. "I put your gear here."
"Thanks," John removed his boots, before slipping into his sleeping bag beside her.
"No problem," she yawned, turning to face him.
"Sleep," John urged, zipping her sleeping bag up just a little bit higher, to keep the chill out.
"Okay.."
Ten minutes later, Elizabeth opened her eyes again, to see John sitting up, surveying the area. "Hey," she whispered.
John looked down at her immediately.
"Sleep," she insisted.
"I will."
"Now," Elizabeth whispered determinedly.
John sighed, lying down beside her.
"I'm flattered.." she started. "but you don't have to worry so much when I'm here."
"It's not that.. I don't..."
Elizabeth let out a soft laugh. "You don't know what they say, do you? Your team."
John rolled his eyes. "What?"
"That you're a nightmare when I'm offworld" she laughed. "they think you don't trust them with me."
"Maybe I don't... "
"Trust them," Elizabeth insisted. "for me, for them, for yourself."
"Okay.."
"Promise?"
"I'll try."
Elizabeth smiled, and shuffled a little closer to him, until they were side by side, drifting off to sleep.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John woke before the sun rose that morning. He was programmed like that. He woke every few hours, almost as though it was a self preservation technique.
He smiled at the feeling of light pressure against his right shoulder, and looked down to see Elizabeth, her head resting against him.
As much as he wanted to do as she asked and trust Ronon, Teyla, and even Rodney with her safety, he didn't think it was something he could do yet.
From day one he'd felt a connection to her. He'd felt protective of her.
That wasn't something that would go away after one conversation.
As he watched her sleep by the light of the fire in the early morning, he wasn't sure he ever wanted it to go away.
John moved past Teyla, before coming to settle on the ground next to Elizabeth, kneeling down beside her. He assessed the area. She was close enough to the fire to be warm, but not so close that she'd be in danger from any flying embers.
Ronon was on watch now, and while he should have been resting, John couldn't bring himself to close his eyes. He was always hyper-vigilent when Elizabeth was off-world, feeling the responsibility for her was entirely his.
He glanced towards Ronon, making sure he was still surveying the treeline, before turning and hesitantly pushing a curl of hair behind Elizabeth's ear.
"John.." she murmured.
He stopped, hand raised just over Elizabeth's head. One hundred thoughts were rushing through his head; that she dreamed of him, that she felt the same connection to him that he felt to her, that she..
"John," the whisper was a little louder this time, startling him out of his thoughts.
He dragged himself back to reality, looking down and locking eyes with her by the firelight.
"You should be sleeping," he whispered back with a smile.
"So should you," she countered.
He nodded, smiling.
Elizabeth moved a little, making room for him. "I put your gear here."
"Thanks," John removed his boots, before slipping into his sleeping bag beside her.
"No problem," she yawned, turning to face him.
"Sleep," John urged, zipping her sleeping bag up just a little bit higher, to keep the chill out.
"Okay.."
Ten minutes later, Elizabeth opened her eyes again, to see John sitting up, surveying the area. "Hey," she whispered.
John looked down at her immediately.
"Sleep," she insisted.
"I will."
"Now," Elizabeth whispered determinedly.
John sighed, lying down beside her.
"I'm flattered.." she started. "but you don't have to worry so much when I'm here."
"It's not that.. I don't..."
Elizabeth let out a soft laugh. "You don't know what they say, do you? Your team."
John rolled his eyes. "What?"
"That you're a nightmare when I'm offworld" she laughed. "they think you don't trust them with me."
"Maybe I don't... "
"Trust them," Elizabeth insisted. "for me, for them, for yourself."
"Okay.."
"Promise?"
"I'll try."
Elizabeth smiled, and shuffled a little closer to him, until they were side by side, drifting off to sleep.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John woke before the sun rose that morning. He was programmed like that. He woke every few hours, almost as though it was a self preservation technique.
He smiled at the feeling of light pressure against his right shoulder, and looked down to see Elizabeth, her head resting against him.
As much as he wanted to do as she asked and trust Ronon, Teyla, and even Rodney with her safety, he didn't think it was something he could do yet.
From day one he'd felt a connection to her. He'd felt protective of her.
That wasn't something that would go away after one conversation.
As he watched her sleep by the light of the fire in the early morning, he wasn't sure he ever wanted it to go away.