"Elizabeth, you need to relax. You need to have fun."
She eyed him suspiciously. "I have .. fun.. John. I just like to get my work out of the way first."
"Really," he asked, quirking an eyebrow. "so tell me when you last watched a movie, or played a card game..."
"Does Solitaire count?"
John gave her a look that told her in no uncertain terms that it didn't.
Elizabeth sighed, closing her eyes. "John, I don't have time."
"Sure you do. I'll even help you with your paperwork later. It's a day, Elizabeth. Not even a day. Half a day."
Elizabeth weighed up her options. She could stay in her office and work all day, or she could travel to the mainland with John to collect some essentials.
"I can't just leave the city any time I choose to..." she protested.
John groaned. "Elizabeth, Rodney will be here, Caldwell will be here, nothing is going to happen."
She chewed at her bottom lip, deep in consideration.
"I'll take you shopping," John offered finally.
"Shopping?"
John shrugged. "You said you wanted cushions, right? We'll find you some cushions."
She hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Okay. We have a deal."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John stepped aside as one of the Athosians stacked the last crate of goods into the jumper. He and Elizabeth would be transporting items of every description back to the city. Including clothing, since the Athosian fabrics and styles were often more comfortable for downtime.
He turned to see Elizabeth smiling up at him. "We've done well," she told him.
John nodded, "Not too bad. But we still have a few things to pick up."
Elizabeth frowned, wondering what they could have possibly forgotten, what could possibly be missing from the eight crates in the jumper.
"Your cushions?"
She smiled, "We don't need to do that, I don't really need any..."
"It was important enough for you to mention it, and since it was such a trial getting you to leave the city..."
"Okay," Elizabeth gave in, "lead the way."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John stood beside her as Elizabeth looked through the cushions on offer from one of the Athosians. They were all the colours of the rainbow, and in so many shades she found it impossible to choose. They'd so far spent 20 minutes looking at the items, and she'd been expecting John to become impatient.
He didn't.
He instead stood beside her, offering suggestions. It all felt very domestic.
"Why don't we pick a colour and go from there?" he asked.
Elizabeth smiled at his use of the word 'we', and nodded. "How about green?" she asked.
"Green." He gave her a thoughtful look, weighing it up in his mind, before nodding his approval and placing his hands on her shoulders, turning her towards the cushions that fitted the description.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"These will help greatly with relaxation," the trader told Elizabeth as she tied the three cushions together with twine.
"Good," John smirked, "she needs to do more of that."
Elizabeth nudged him in the ribs with an elbow, before reaching to take the items.
"I've got it," John insisted, taking the bundle before she could.
Elizabeth eyed the cushions as they turned to leave. The sea green would be a nice, calming addition to her room. She could imagine herself lying on her bed, surrounded by the large pillows, reading a good book.
She was startled slightly when John rested a hand on her back, urging her on towards the jumper. She was even more startled when his hand moved up to the base of her neck and stayed there.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elizabeth slumped, tired, into her seat in the jumper. She'd been up before dawn working, and despite its relaxing nature, the trip to the mainland had left her ready for sleep.
"You okay?"
She smiled and nodded, opening her eyes slowly to take in the sight of John Sheppard, ready to take them home. "Thank you."
"No problem."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elizabeth stirred, distracted by the feeling of something on her face. She twitched her nose, surpised to hear a soft laugh.
Opening her eyes, she saw John right in front of her, pushing a curl of hair behind her ear.
"We're home," he said softly, "time to get you to bed."
She nodded, stretching, yawning, and willing herself to wake up.
When she finally stood, she saw John, instructing a couple of marines on where to take the crates, while he held the string tying her bundle of pillows in his right hand.
He motioned for her to join him, and they left the jumper for the trip to her quarters.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elizabeth stopped outside the door to her room, "Well, this is me," she joked.
"So it is."
"I guess I should...." she reached for the stack of cushions, taking it from John as she opened the door, placing the bundle inside.
She turned back to him, awkwardly, not quite sure how to end their day together, and noting immediately that he seemed to feel the same way.
Elizabeth made a split second decision, reaching out and giving him a quick hug, "Thank you," she said as she stepped back. "I had a good day."
"Well, that was the idea," John joked.
She nodded, offering him an almost-shy smile, "I should..." she motioned back to her room.
"Yeah, you need to sleep," John insisted. "and I don't want to see you up and about before eight in the morning, okay?"
Elizabeth laughed at that, but agreed to his request, before they parted company and she slipped into her room.
She picked up the cushions once the door had closed, holding them close and placing them carefully on the bed to untie them.
Elizabeth placed one on her desk chair, and the second on the floor with two others she'd acquired a year before.
The third one, she looked at, uncertainly, before deciding it would be nice to hold onto it during the night.
She shrugged out of her uniform, replacing it with a long, soft t-shirt, and slipped into bed, hugging the cushion John had chosen tightly to her body.
She eyed him suspiciously. "I have .. fun.. John. I just like to get my work out of the way first."
"Really," he asked, quirking an eyebrow. "so tell me when you last watched a movie, or played a card game..."
"Does Solitaire count?"
John gave her a look that told her in no uncertain terms that it didn't.
Elizabeth sighed, closing her eyes. "John, I don't have time."
"Sure you do. I'll even help you with your paperwork later. It's a day, Elizabeth. Not even a day. Half a day."
Elizabeth weighed up her options. She could stay in her office and work all day, or she could travel to the mainland with John to collect some essentials.
"I can't just leave the city any time I choose to..." she protested.
John groaned. "Elizabeth, Rodney will be here, Caldwell will be here, nothing is going to happen."
She chewed at her bottom lip, deep in consideration.
"I'll take you shopping," John offered finally.
"Shopping?"
John shrugged. "You said you wanted cushions, right? We'll find you some cushions."
She hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Okay. We have a deal."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John stepped aside as one of the Athosians stacked the last crate of goods into the jumper. He and Elizabeth would be transporting items of every description back to the city. Including clothing, since the Athosian fabrics and styles were often more comfortable for downtime.
He turned to see Elizabeth smiling up at him. "We've done well," she told him.
John nodded, "Not too bad. But we still have a few things to pick up."
Elizabeth frowned, wondering what they could have possibly forgotten, what could possibly be missing from the eight crates in the jumper.
"Your cushions?"
She smiled, "We don't need to do that, I don't really need any..."
"It was important enough for you to mention it, and since it was such a trial getting you to leave the city..."
"Okay," Elizabeth gave in, "lead the way."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John stood beside her as Elizabeth looked through the cushions on offer from one of the Athosians. They were all the colours of the rainbow, and in so many shades she found it impossible to choose. They'd so far spent 20 minutes looking at the items, and she'd been expecting John to become impatient.
He didn't.
He instead stood beside her, offering suggestions. It all felt very domestic.
"Why don't we pick a colour and go from there?" he asked.
Elizabeth smiled at his use of the word 'we', and nodded. "How about green?" she asked.
"Green." He gave her a thoughtful look, weighing it up in his mind, before nodding his approval and placing his hands on her shoulders, turning her towards the cushions that fitted the description.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"These will help greatly with relaxation," the trader told Elizabeth as she tied the three cushions together with twine.
"Good," John smirked, "she needs to do more of that."
Elizabeth nudged him in the ribs with an elbow, before reaching to take the items.
"I've got it," John insisted, taking the bundle before she could.
Elizabeth eyed the cushions as they turned to leave. The sea green would be a nice, calming addition to her room. She could imagine herself lying on her bed, surrounded by the large pillows, reading a good book.
She was startled slightly when John rested a hand on her back, urging her on towards the jumper. She was even more startled when his hand moved up to the base of her neck and stayed there.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elizabeth slumped, tired, into her seat in the jumper. She'd been up before dawn working, and despite its relaxing nature, the trip to the mainland had left her ready for sleep.
"You okay?"
She smiled and nodded, opening her eyes slowly to take in the sight of John Sheppard, ready to take them home. "Thank you."
"No problem."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elizabeth stirred, distracted by the feeling of something on her face. She twitched her nose, surpised to hear a soft laugh.
Opening her eyes, she saw John right in front of her, pushing a curl of hair behind her ear.
"We're home," he said softly, "time to get you to bed."
She nodded, stretching, yawning, and willing herself to wake up.
When she finally stood, she saw John, instructing a couple of marines on where to take the crates, while he held the string tying her bundle of pillows in his right hand.
He motioned for her to join him, and they left the jumper for the trip to her quarters.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elizabeth stopped outside the door to her room, "Well, this is me," she joked.
"So it is."
"I guess I should...." she reached for the stack of cushions, taking it from John as she opened the door, placing the bundle inside.
She turned back to him, awkwardly, not quite sure how to end their day together, and noting immediately that he seemed to feel the same way.
Elizabeth made a split second decision, reaching out and giving him a quick hug, "Thank you," she said as she stepped back. "I had a good day."
"Well, that was the idea," John joked.
She nodded, offering him an almost-shy smile, "I should..." she motioned back to her room.
"Yeah, you need to sleep," John insisted. "and I don't want to see you up and about before eight in the morning, okay?"
Elizabeth laughed at that, but agreed to his request, before they parted company and she slipped into her room.
She picked up the cushions once the door had closed, holding them close and placing them carefully on the bed to untie them.
Elizabeth placed one on her desk chair, and the second on the floor with two others she'd acquired a year before.
The third one, she looked at, uncertainly, before deciding it would be nice to hold onto it during the night.
She shrugged out of her uniform, replacing it with a long, soft t-shirt, and slipped into bed, hugging the cushion John had chosen tightly to her body.