Unexpected by Oparu
Author's Chapter Notes: Thank you Shannon! Thanks for all the reviews! I'm really blown away...
Simon and Jeannie meet on the Odyssey. John gets to meet Simon as well. Elizabeth struggles.
Simon and Jeannie meet on the Odyssey. John gets to meet Simon as well. Elizabeth struggles.
She had the strength to stand while she was speaking, but it left her when she released the radio. Elizabeth let John guide her back down to the floor, still holding the tablet computer with the databurst from the Daedalus in her hands. When she'd read it, the name had meant nothing to her. It was merely one more out of the list of people who weren't her mother. Now, with her head on John's shoulder, her eye caught it.
"I must have forgotten," Elizabeth whispered, letting the list fall from her fingers the last centimeter to the floor. "When he-" she swallowed, correcting herself weakly, "-when we broke up. I meant to change my next-of-kin, just leave my Mum."
"Simon Wallace is your Simon," John put together as he rescued the computer and placed it safely aside. "The one who left you."
"I should be pleased he's alive," Elizabeth chided herself, lifting her head a little. "Life is so precious, John."
"He's not your mother," John allowed for her, giving her space to hate Simon for living when so many others had died. "Did General Landry?"
Elizabeth shook her head, biting her lip against her seemingly immortal tears. "He went down with the SGC," she swallowed again, managing a tiny smile. "He always said he wanted to."
"I would," John admitted without thinking. Elizabeth couldn't take it. Her shoulders were already quivering. He immediately regretted saying anything and jumped to correct himself. "If I was a crusty old general, which I am never going to be, because I intend to live to a ripe old age surrounded by grandchildren." He waited a moment for her to notice his smile.
"You want grandchildren?"
"I think I have to learn to deal with children first," John covered, relieved she had managed to return a ghost of his smile.
"You want children then?" Elizabeth was only half-joking. Part of her was genuinely curious. "As in more than one?"
"Well..." John started, scratching his neck thoughtfully as he threatened to blush. "Usually when I like something..." he shrugged, "...I want more of it- them- kids."
She clung to his hand, pulling it up to her cheek. "What would I do without you, John Sheppard?"
"The universe will never know," John's sarcasm hid his promise. "Drink your juice."
~*~*~*~*~*~
The entire experience was surreal, as if he'd stepped out of his life into a dream world. Doctor Simon Wallace had been leaving work, walking the few blocks between the hospital and his assigned parking space. Then he wasn't. He was standing, briefcase still in hand, in a metal box of a room, looking at a very apologetic airman.
"Welcome to the Odyssey, Sir, please come with me this way," said the young woman as she pulled him out of the center of the room. "I know you're very confused Sir, please, come this way and I promise to explain everything."
The young woman led him down a corridor, twisting through metal doors past more people in uniform.
"Why am I here?" he started, trying to make any kind of sense out of the situation. "For that matter, where am I?"
"The Odyssey is a space ship belonging to the United States Air Force, Sir," she explained patiently. "We're currently in a low orbit of Earth, picking up the next of kin of the Atlantis expedition. You were listed in the personal file of Doctor Elizabeth Weir."
The word Atlantis sparked his memory. "There's been some mistake," he began to apologize. "Elizabeth and I aren't together anymore."
"I'm sorry Sir," the airman led him into a larger room full of other confused civilians. "No matter what happened between you and her, you're better off here than on Earth." Her brown eyes softened for a moment, and he wondered how close she was to tears. "Please, Sir, just try to trust us." She left, disappearing through the heavy metal door.
He walked through the crowd, passing the elderly couples he marked as parents. Some younger women shepherded children, and he wondered if their husbands were waiting for them. There were even a few men with children in hand. Some of the refugees were like him, alone, on their way home from work. Everyone was quiet, looking around too shocked too avoid staring.
One of the children, a little girl with amber-brown hair brushed against his leg. "We're going to see my uncle," she informed him with the calm that only came to young children in moments of crisis.
"I'm sorry," her mother began as she left the line of people around the tables of food. "Madison, come here."
"It's all right," Simon promised gently, pleased to have made eye contact with someone.
"Jeannie Miller," she introduced herself as she scooped up the girl. "And this is Madison."
"Simon," he offered, reaching out a hand. "Simon Wallace, I shouldn't be here."
"Why not?" she asked quickly, too shell-shocked to be polite. "I'm not sure what I did to deserve being home when my husband couldn't be found..." Jeannie paused, closing her eyes until she regained her composure. "...but they saved Madison. My brother, Rodney, he's the scientific advisor for the Atlantis expedition. If you have any questions, I was there once, helping him with a physics proof..." She smiled nervously. "I'm rambling."
"It's nice," he sighed, sinking down to a bench. "We're going through the Stargate?"
"You know?" Jeannie asked abruptly. "I thought people weren't supposed to know..."
"I used to date the leader of the expedition," Simon began quietly. "She tried to get me to come with her." He dropped his hands weakly to his lap, watching as Madison started to play with his briefcase.
"Doctor Weir?" she filled in quickly. "I, uh, I kind of thought..."
"What?" Simon wondered curiously. Bending down, he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a few pens and a notebook. "Do you draw? My nephew's about your age and he really likes to draw."
Madison nodded quickly, taking his pens and the paper and dropping down to the floor.
"What did you think?" Simon asked again. Watching Madison start to scribble something that vaguely resembled a sheep.
"I kinda thought she had a thing for this guy she works with...I mean, I barely talked to her, but Mere said John had a hell of a crush on her, and they were always together when I saw them..." she shrugged, blushing slightly when she realized what she was saying. "So where are you from? What do you do?" Jeannie quickly changed the subject.
"I'm, well, I was until a few moments ago, a doctor," Simon tried to remember if he knew anything about who Elizabeth worked with. She hadn't mentioned anyone, but he hadn't really given her the chance. The last time he'd seen her all they'd done was fight. "I live in Washington DC. What about you?"
"Toronto, my husband's an English teacher," Jeannie stopped short, realizing she had to correct herself again. "Caleb was an english teacher."
"It's all right," Simon sighed, watching as Madison stuck his three-hundred dollar gold-leafed pen that had been a gift after ten years of service into her mouth. It really didn't matter anymore. If Earth was really gone...
"They're taking us to Atlantis," Jeannie said, hoping she hadn't said it already. "I suppose there could be worse things than that. I keep telling Maddie how nice it was. I think she'll like it."
"Why are they taking us?" Simon queried softly, glad he'd ended up with someone who knew something about what was happening. "What happened to Earth?"
"I was told it was the Replicators," Jeannie answered. Watching Madison draw a dark shape sucking stick figures up into the sky made her smile. "I don't really know who--what they are, but from the way everyone's acting, I assume it's bad."
"They took us from Earth to protect us?" Simon asked, watching the same airman who'd brought him drop off another woman. "It was that bad?"
"I guess," Jeannie opened a power bar and handed it down to her daughter. She offered him a second. "Hungry?"
Simon took it gratefully, taking a bite as he tried to decide what he was going to say when he saw Elizabeth again.
~*~*~*~*~
"Okay people, I know you're frightened, I know there's a lot to see but we need to keep moving..." John waved the next group away from the shimmering circle of water. "Come on, follow the nice scientists in the blue shirts, they'll take you out to the balcony where we'll sign you up for some quarters. Everyone likes getting some quarters...they're real nice, lots of them have balconies even..."
Elizabeth leaned over the railing, watching the families follow John and her science teams. She rested her head in her hands for a moment, relieved that in a few hours she could finally stand down. When everyone had quarters and food she'd let herself go to bed. Caldwell had radioed back in. He and Emerson were collecting all the supplies from the Alpha site before they'd make the long trip back. With only one ZPM, the Daedalus would have to escort the Odyssey at a much slower rate than they could travel alone.
She hadn't seen him yet. She should be thinking of other things. How could she feed everyone? What would they do for clothing? Medicine? Schools? All of a sudden her child wasn't the abnormality, but instead the youngest of many. Elizabeth glanced up in time to notice someone she recognized. Rodney's sister, Jeannie had emerged from the gate with a little girl in her arms. Rodney's niece was as adorable as her picture had been.
Jeannie recognized John and her face lit with relief. Rodney appeared out of nowhere and attacked her with one of the fiercest hugs she'd ever seen. Elizabeth had to smile. That was hope. She was still smiling, feeling a tiny bit better as she left the balcony and started down the stairs to John.
Simon was a step behind Jeannie. She recognized him from the back by the set of his shoulders and his brown leather briefcase. Elizabeth's stomach knotted and she caught the railing with one hand.
John saw her falter, and following her eyes he picked out the tall man with shaggy curls as Simon. He sized him up as he walked past. He looked academic, boring, and too stuffy for Elizabeth. For a moment, insecurity suggested that Simon was what Elizabeth liked; the nerdy academic who would be able to debate United Nations policy with her.
As if Simon knew he was being watched, he turned, catching Elizabeth on the stairs. She was deathly pale, like she had been after the eighth day of nuclear talks in Pakistan. He remembered her nearly crawling off the plane at the airport and curling up with Sedgewick for the rest of the weekend. She'd been so stubborn she hadn't let him treat her until her fever had crawled above one hundred degrees and it became obvious she was more than just tired.
Elizabeth erased John's fears when she met his eyes. Her hand was damp with sweat when she caught his, and she let him take some of her weight. "Why is he looking at me?"
"He's realizing he was an idiot," John muttered darkly, making her crack a smile at his jealous streak. He kept himself between her and Simon when it became apparent that Simon wasn't leaving without speaking to her.
"I'm sorry," Elizabeth began softly. Lifting her head to meet Simon's stare would have been hard enough if she wasn't exhausted. Now it was nearly torture. "I know you didn't want..."
"...thank you," Simon interrupted. "Because of you, I'm alive."
"I never meant," Elizabeth sighed heavily, her head hurt badly enough that her eyes were tearing up. "Have you met?"
"Colonel John Sheppard," John amended, both of his hands were on Elizabeth's arm, but he removed one, letting her rest her weight on his shoulder. He stood on the step between both of them with Elizabeth using him for balance and Simon looking through him at her. "I'm the military commander of Atlantis. Sorry for the abrupt welcome. We have a lot going on." He shook Simon's hand politely, trying not to squeeze as hard as he wanted too.
"I'm supposed to..." Simon stopped, watching with a strange tightening of his chest as Elizabeth's hand crept into John's hair on the back of his neck. "...go get quarters."
"Right!" John smiled without a lot of warmth. Taking Elizabeth's hands back, he took a step down the stairs. "It's right that way," he said, using her hand to help point. "Teyla and Ronon are overseeing the process. They'll be happy to help you. Now if you'll excuse us, I have to walk the good doctor here to bed."
Simon's eyebrows narrowed. She was sick then. It was possible she was just tired, but from the way she clung to John he really should have known she wasn't feeling well. "Are you all right?" Had she ever let him carry so much of her?
"I'm fine," Elizabeth answered more forcefully than she intended to. She even retrieved her hands from John's and stood on her own. She'd be dammed if she was going to let Simon diagnose her in the gate room, or anywhere else for that matter. "Actually, Simon, as soon as you have quarters I'd like to ask you a favor, we don't have a lot of doctors and any help you'd be willing to give..."
Simon nodded, realizing it was going to be just business between them. "I'll have someone show me the way," he agreed absently. Work was the best option. Helping people would keep him from thinking until he had time to grieve properly. "It is nice to see you again."
"And a pleasure to meet you," John replied, saving Elizabeth from having to speak. He could feel her arm tremble as he held it against his chest. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you." His exaggerated politeness made Simon just uncomfortable enough for him to enjoy it. He smiled at him, watching Simon find his way to the balcony with the rest of the refugees.
Elizabeth made it out of sight, around the corner and down into the transporter to their quarters before she started to collapse. Wrapping an arm firmly around her waist, John made sure he was ready to catch her if need be. "I don't know if I can carry you," he half-admitted, half-joked. "I didn't get any sleep either."
"Do you think there will be a third evolution of humanity?" Elizabeth asked him suddenly, ignoring his jibe entirely.
John stopped walking, completely taken by surprise. "What are you talking about?" he asked, shaking his head slowly.
"When the Ancients suffered from the plague that nearly wiped them out, they seeded us," Elizabeth explained, her tired mind traveling in tangents. "Now we're wiped out," she continued, hanging onto the wall while he fussed with the door to their quarters. "If the universe travels in cycles where one series of events leads into the next..."
The crystals recognized his hand and chimed to let him in. "...it's time to start over?" John finished for her, leading her directly to the bed as soon as he got through the door. "It's possible," he agreed, kneeling down with a groan to deal with her boots. "We've seen stranger things."
"Do you ever feel like there's an entire story going on somewhere that we're just a tiny, infinitesimal piece of?" Elizabeth asked as she balanced with her hands on his shoulders. "Something so big it's going on all around us and we're just a drop in the bucket, so to speak."
"Arms up," John requested, taking her shirt and pulling it over her head. With it gone she shivered slightly and he hurried. Grabbing one of their sleeping bags he draped it around her shoulders as he started removing her pants.
"Don't know if I'm up for that, fly boy..." Elizabeth teased weakly, winking at him as he slid them down over her hips. She started to undo her bra, but his hands beat her to it. He kissed her neck as he pulled it free.
John left her clothes in a pile on the floor and started to strip himself. "The Ancients always seemed like they had a plan," he supposed, wriggling his black t-shirt off over his muscular back. "At least until they got their butts kicked by the Wraith," he concluded with a thoughtful look. "Maybe it was our turn. The Ancients bult Atlantis, Ancients nearly get killed by Wraith. We take over Atlantis; we're nearly killed by Replicators..."
His pants dropped to the floor and he stepped out of them, the hair on his legs pricking with cold. Elizabeth slid over, making room for him in the bed. Without bothering to do anything else, he dropped like a stone next to her.
"If there's an emergency now, I get up. If there's one while we're trying to sleep tomorrow, that one's for you," he decided as he pulled her close to his chest. Elizabeth folded her arms around his and let the warmth of his body seep into her back.
"Are you going to alternate nights parenting?" she nudged, feeling him chuckle against her. John let her question hang and his breathing started to slow. "Simon hated you," Elizabeth whispered to his arm as she held it.
"I've never figured out why so many men do," John pretended with an innocent lilt in his voice. "Women seem to like me."
"When I saw you in the chair, back on Earth," Elizabeth mused quietly as she watched the stars hang sleepily outside her window. "I knew I needed you."
"Fate had us marked then?" John jabbed, faking a romantic tone.
Elizabeth rolled over, pulling her hands in so she could lay them on his chest. "You could turn on the chair!" she exclaimed sleepily. "Better than anyone else could."
"I knew it," he remarked, kissing her fingers as he lifted them up to her mouth. "You just wanted me for my genetics."
"You do have that mensa IQ..." Elizabeth yawned again, letting the warmth of his chest fill her hands. "And lovely eyes."
He brought his lips to her forehead, tasting the old sweat and the unique taste of her. "I love you," he promised, running his hand down her back until he found the spot he wanted. Elizabeth smiled in her sleep, knowing he was there was enough to wipe away the rest of her worries.
~*~*~*~*~
When she woke up, Elizabeth was alone. Rolling over groggily, she had to remind herself that the stars outside her window were space, not the middle of the night over the ocean. It was hard not to miss the ocean. As she stretched lazily, she realized she heard water, but instead of waves, it was the running water of the shower. Yawning as she sat up, Elizabeth held the sleeping bag up over her chest out of habit.
When the shower stopped, a very naked John Sheppard strolled out of the bathroom. He dried the hair on his head, grinning at her playfully as her eyes ran over his naked body. "Morning," he said, winking and lowering his towel to his neck. In the cool air of their quarters his body almost steamed from the heat of the shower. "You were out cold, so I went for a run and came back to shower."
"No emergencies?" Elizabeth asked, watching a droplet of water find its way down his chest.
"I left Teyla in charge," he explained and captured the droplet with his towel as it ran over his chest. "There's really nothing she can't handle."
"Even hundreds of exhausted, terrified, worn-out refugees from Earth?" Elizabeth mused, disappointed when he wrapped the towel around his waist and searched for his clothes.
"Well, she's pretty good at giving the 'life in Pegasus 101 lecture'," John pointed out. Successfully finding his duffel bag, he pulled his one pair of clean boxers. Elizabeth caught herself shamelessly watching his well-toned butt as he pulled them on. "You're really making this one-sided," he rebuked playfully. "I'm fine with being your object of admiration, however..." John turned around, arms crossed over his chest as he glared at the sleeping bag.
Laughing and starting to blush, Elizabeth looked down at the olive drab sleeping bag and then back at him. "I'll get cold," she complained, still giggling as his eyes rolled in his head.
"Maybe I'll warm you up," John negotiated, turning around to dig up his pants. The sleeping bag rustled on the bed, and when he turned around Elizabeth stood next to it. Her skin nearly glowed in the weak light of the stars and the one light he'd turned on to look for his clothing. Aside from her simple black panties, she was entirely, gloriously naked.
Clasping her hands behind her back and giving him a stern look, Elizabeth watched as he stepped into his pants. "Is this fair enough for you?"
Doing the belt as he crossed the floor to her, John clinked it in place just as he reached her. Feeling her nipples as two hardening points against his chest, he circled her with his arms. "I've heard you were a tough negotiator," he replied with amusement, digging his fingers into the muscles in the small of her back. "I guess they were right."
"You bet they were," Elizabeth tossed back, sighing when he found the knots that had taken up residence there. "Is there anyway just to take the weekend off?"
John chuckled and looked down at her curiously. "I thought you didn't take days off," he said, teasing the elastic the held her panties firmly in place.
"I might occasionally need one," Elizabeth conceded, raising her eyebrows slightly before she released him. "Remember the good old days when our biggest fear was the Wraith?"
"Vaguely," John returned, tossing her a clean towel from the chair. "Laundry's back up and running, if we had some more clothes, we could wash them."
"God," Elizabeth hung up the towel on a smooth metal hook on the wall of the bathroom and stepped out of her panties. "I suppose we aren't getting any more supplies?"
"The Odyssey and the Daedalus are loaded with everything that could be salvaged from the Alpha and Beta sites," John called into the bathroom as he slid into his t-shirt. "Teyla received the last of the personnel this morning. It looks like the head count's holding at eight hundred sixty-five, counting the crews on both ships."
Elizabeth felt the air slip from her chest as she clung to the wall of the shower. Eight hundred of six billion... Swallowing her grief, she reached for the hot water. "Any word from the infirmary?"
"Carson, Doctor Tam, and Doctor Wallace have been working their magic," John called into the bathroom, hearing the water come on as he sat down to pull on his black socks. He wandered the room, collecting their dirty clothes and making sure they landed in a bag he could bring to the laundry. "All of the surgical cases pulled through, he has two patients in comas, but he seems optimistic. The only case that really has him worried is Helia. Her vitals took a turn for the worst last night and he was sending her through the Ancient scanner when I went for my run."
Elizabeth ran her hands over her face and let the hot water take her insecurities away. "And Colonel Carter?" she yelled back over the sound of the shower.
"Complete success, she'll be up and around today, back to her ship in a few more days," John leaned on the wall of the bathroom, watching her through the glass door of the shower. "Found you some clothes, but it's more Air Force pants for you I'm afraid."
Elizabeth laughed slightly as she fumbled for the shampoo with closed eyes. "Could be worse, I guess," she decided optimistically.
John reached around the glass and pushed the shampoo into her hand. "That's the spirit," he agreed, keeping himself as cheerful as possible. "Feeling all right?"
Elizabeth worked the shampoo through the tangled curls of her hair and sighed to the wall. "I'm all right," she replied without enough conviction.
"Nauseous?" he asked, watching foam run down her back.
"I think you should just stop asking me that question," Elizabeth pulled her fingers through her hair and spritzed the water on them at him.
"That bad?" he continued to wonder as he held out the towel.
Shutting off the water, she grabbed for it and pressed it to her face. "It's easier to pretend it doesn't exist, if you stop bringing it up," she rationalized, drying the water from her neck before she attacked her hair.
"Have I mentioned I like you this way?" John offered, arms crossed lazily over his chest.
"Wet?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and started the towel down her body.
"Why Doctor," John tilted his head towards the pile of her clothes on the chair. "Is that some kind of suggestion?"
"Might be," she answered, running a hand across the back of his neck as she passed. He retaliated by stealing her towel and dragging her back to him. John grabbed her ass through the towel, pretending to be drying her skin.
"See you after work?" he teased, promising with his hands to make it worth her while if she did.
"I know it'll be nearly impossible, but could we make time to stop by the infirmary today?" Elizabeth ventured, almost shy now that they were talking about the baby. "Carson's been wanting to do a real exam, now that everything's online, and he's starting to get caught up." Ever since Mab had started visiting her, she'd been afraid. Not of the baby, as she had been before, but for the first time she was afraid for the baby.
"What if he just tells you that you're going to be sick every day for the next thirty weeks-" John was stopped when she threw her hand over his mouth.
"He's not going to say that..." Elizabeth insisted, turning away from him to pull on her clothing. She clung to his arm for balance as she pulled on her panties. "He's going to tell me to take it easy."
"As you should be doing," John chastised, grinning softly as she wriggled into her black bra. He just kept grinning at her breasts as she did up the clasp. "The view from this apartment really is spectacular."
"Oh really?" She giggled slightly, almost nervous as he continued to watch her get dressed. As she sat on the bed, her smile faded. John watched as her shoulders started to slump. "How do I go out there? How do I face all of those people and tell them they have to go on with our lives?"
John turned around the chair that had held her clothes and settled into it backwards, crossing his arms along the back. "Because you're going to," John affirmed. Keeping his gaze on her steady. "Because I'll be there next to you and because everyone out there is tougher than you think."
"Everyone's lost so much," Elizabeth sighed, letting her head fall into her hands. "I don't think there's one person out there who hasn't lost most of their family."
He nudged her foot with his toes. "I'm sorry I won't get to meet your mother," he offered gently, meeting her eyes as she looked up. "I like to tell myself she would have liked me."
"She would have thought you were crazy," Elizabeth started to smile even as her eyes teared up. "A pilot like you giving up command of his own ship to be with me of all people. Not to mention that you were insane enough to get me pregnant, without even knowing how terrible I am when I'm sick."
"I'm going to go with lucky," John said softly, watching as her tears ran down her cheeks. There was something beautiful about the way she cried; how her eyelashes directed her tears down from her ever-serious green eyes.
"And she would have thought you're charming," Elizabeth told him as she sat up, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. "Sometimes, rarely I mean, on your most serious occasions, you remind me of my father. I think she would have liked that about you."
John's lips curled in a proud smile. "They must have been so proud of you," he ventured as he reached to touch her arm, making her lips twitch in weak amusement. "A Ph.D, negotiations with the UN, top secret missions for the US government..."
"My father said he'd be proudest of me when I was happy," she explained softly, concentrating on the warmth in his face. "When I could look him in the eye and tell him I was completely happy, he'd know he had done a good job."
He paused, trying to picture the man who had touched her so. "How are you doing now?" John asked thoughtfully, wondering what it was like to be so close to her parents.
"I don't know," Elizabeth admitted. Reaching up, she captured his hand off her arm and held it close to her chest. "I can't seem to think that far. Today getting out of bed was a victory."
John leaned across, sitting up enough to reach her face. He kissed her damp cheek and breathed in the clean smell of her hair. "Hang onto that," he suggested. "Even small victories call for celebrations...if only small ones. If you're ready, I'll buy you breakfast in the cafeteria, I've heard they are featuring a long line and military rations..."
"You really know how to tempt a woman, don't you?" Elizabeth joked, wiping her face as she stood.
"If you need a minute..." John offered shyly as he returned his chair to the wall, "...and if you want me to go, or stay, or..."
"I can't right now," Elizabeth answered; her voice strained with emotion. He nodded, trying to give her the right space to grieve. "I can't promise I'm not going to collapse into a weeping mess later..."
"...but not right now," John finished for her. He tucked his hands in his pockets and waited just in front of the door. "If you want a shoulder, I've been told mine are pretty decent." He paused, shrugging slightly as the only sign of his nervousness. "I'd understand if you, well, wanted to be alone too."
"I'd rather not..." she stuttered, awkwardly trying not to look at him long enough for her heart to break through her control. "...be alone," she added, "I don't think it would be good for me."
"Okay," he said, nodding simply. "Breakfast then?"
Elizabeth winced slightly, holding her stomach without knowing she was. "Breakfast," she agreed grimly. She was tempted to grab something and disappear into her office to deal with being nauseous on her own. John had a point and he knew it. With morale where it was, they had to be seen in public. They had to prove it was possible to go on with life. Even if that meant demonstrating her aversion to food in front of the entire city. After all, Elizabeth thought, she was lucky her pregnancy wasn't all over the city the minute Rodney had heard about it.
"I must have forgotten," Elizabeth whispered, letting the list fall from her fingers the last centimeter to the floor. "When he-" she swallowed, correcting herself weakly, "-when we broke up. I meant to change my next-of-kin, just leave my Mum."
"Simon Wallace is your Simon," John put together as he rescued the computer and placed it safely aside. "The one who left you."
"I should be pleased he's alive," Elizabeth chided herself, lifting her head a little. "Life is so precious, John."
"He's not your mother," John allowed for her, giving her space to hate Simon for living when so many others had died. "Did General Landry?"
Elizabeth shook her head, biting her lip against her seemingly immortal tears. "He went down with the SGC," she swallowed again, managing a tiny smile. "He always said he wanted to."
"I would," John admitted without thinking. Elizabeth couldn't take it. Her shoulders were already quivering. He immediately regretted saying anything and jumped to correct himself. "If I was a crusty old general, which I am never going to be, because I intend to live to a ripe old age surrounded by grandchildren." He waited a moment for her to notice his smile.
"You want grandchildren?"
"I think I have to learn to deal with children first," John covered, relieved she had managed to return a ghost of his smile.
"You want children then?" Elizabeth was only half-joking. Part of her was genuinely curious. "As in more than one?"
"Well..." John started, scratching his neck thoughtfully as he threatened to blush. "Usually when I like something..." he shrugged, "...I want more of it- them- kids."
She clung to his hand, pulling it up to her cheek. "What would I do without you, John Sheppard?"
"The universe will never know," John's sarcasm hid his promise. "Drink your juice."
~*~*~*~*~*~
The entire experience was surreal, as if he'd stepped out of his life into a dream world. Doctor Simon Wallace had been leaving work, walking the few blocks between the hospital and his assigned parking space. Then he wasn't. He was standing, briefcase still in hand, in a metal box of a room, looking at a very apologetic airman.
"Welcome to the Odyssey, Sir, please come with me this way," said the young woman as she pulled him out of the center of the room. "I know you're very confused Sir, please, come this way and I promise to explain everything."
The young woman led him down a corridor, twisting through metal doors past more people in uniform.
"Why am I here?" he started, trying to make any kind of sense out of the situation. "For that matter, where am I?"
"The Odyssey is a space ship belonging to the United States Air Force, Sir," she explained patiently. "We're currently in a low orbit of Earth, picking up the next of kin of the Atlantis expedition. You were listed in the personal file of Doctor Elizabeth Weir."
The word Atlantis sparked his memory. "There's been some mistake," he began to apologize. "Elizabeth and I aren't together anymore."
"I'm sorry Sir," the airman led him into a larger room full of other confused civilians. "No matter what happened between you and her, you're better off here than on Earth." Her brown eyes softened for a moment, and he wondered how close she was to tears. "Please, Sir, just try to trust us." She left, disappearing through the heavy metal door.
He walked through the crowd, passing the elderly couples he marked as parents. Some younger women shepherded children, and he wondered if their husbands were waiting for them. There were even a few men with children in hand. Some of the refugees were like him, alone, on their way home from work. Everyone was quiet, looking around too shocked too avoid staring.
One of the children, a little girl with amber-brown hair brushed against his leg. "We're going to see my uncle," she informed him with the calm that only came to young children in moments of crisis.
"I'm sorry," her mother began as she left the line of people around the tables of food. "Madison, come here."
"It's all right," Simon promised gently, pleased to have made eye contact with someone.
"Jeannie Miller," she introduced herself as she scooped up the girl. "And this is Madison."
"Simon," he offered, reaching out a hand. "Simon Wallace, I shouldn't be here."
"Why not?" she asked quickly, too shell-shocked to be polite. "I'm not sure what I did to deserve being home when my husband couldn't be found..." Jeannie paused, closing her eyes until she regained her composure. "...but they saved Madison. My brother, Rodney, he's the scientific advisor for the Atlantis expedition. If you have any questions, I was there once, helping him with a physics proof..." She smiled nervously. "I'm rambling."
"It's nice," he sighed, sinking down to a bench. "We're going through the Stargate?"
"You know?" Jeannie asked abruptly. "I thought people weren't supposed to know..."
"I used to date the leader of the expedition," Simon began quietly. "She tried to get me to come with her." He dropped his hands weakly to his lap, watching as Madison started to play with his briefcase.
"Doctor Weir?" she filled in quickly. "I, uh, I kind of thought..."
"What?" Simon wondered curiously. Bending down, he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a few pens and a notebook. "Do you draw? My nephew's about your age and he really likes to draw."
Madison nodded quickly, taking his pens and the paper and dropping down to the floor.
"What did you think?" Simon asked again. Watching Madison start to scribble something that vaguely resembled a sheep.
"I kinda thought she had a thing for this guy she works with...I mean, I barely talked to her, but Mere said John had a hell of a crush on her, and they were always together when I saw them..." she shrugged, blushing slightly when she realized what she was saying. "So where are you from? What do you do?" Jeannie quickly changed the subject.
"I'm, well, I was until a few moments ago, a doctor," Simon tried to remember if he knew anything about who Elizabeth worked with. She hadn't mentioned anyone, but he hadn't really given her the chance. The last time he'd seen her all they'd done was fight. "I live in Washington DC. What about you?"
"Toronto, my husband's an English teacher," Jeannie stopped short, realizing she had to correct herself again. "Caleb was an english teacher."
"It's all right," Simon sighed, watching as Madison stuck his three-hundred dollar gold-leafed pen that had been a gift after ten years of service into her mouth. It really didn't matter anymore. If Earth was really gone...
"They're taking us to Atlantis," Jeannie said, hoping she hadn't said it already. "I suppose there could be worse things than that. I keep telling Maddie how nice it was. I think she'll like it."
"Why are they taking us?" Simon queried softly, glad he'd ended up with someone who knew something about what was happening. "What happened to Earth?"
"I was told it was the Replicators," Jeannie answered. Watching Madison draw a dark shape sucking stick figures up into the sky made her smile. "I don't really know who--what they are, but from the way everyone's acting, I assume it's bad."
"They took us from Earth to protect us?" Simon asked, watching the same airman who'd brought him drop off another woman. "It was that bad?"
"I guess," Jeannie opened a power bar and handed it down to her daughter. She offered him a second. "Hungry?"
Simon took it gratefully, taking a bite as he tried to decide what he was going to say when he saw Elizabeth again.
~*~*~*~*~
"Okay people, I know you're frightened, I know there's a lot to see but we need to keep moving..." John waved the next group away from the shimmering circle of water. "Come on, follow the nice scientists in the blue shirts, they'll take you out to the balcony where we'll sign you up for some quarters. Everyone likes getting some quarters...they're real nice, lots of them have balconies even..."
Elizabeth leaned over the railing, watching the families follow John and her science teams. She rested her head in her hands for a moment, relieved that in a few hours she could finally stand down. When everyone had quarters and food she'd let herself go to bed. Caldwell had radioed back in. He and Emerson were collecting all the supplies from the Alpha site before they'd make the long trip back. With only one ZPM, the Daedalus would have to escort the Odyssey at a much slower rate than they could travel alone.
She hadn't seen him yet. She should be thinking of other things. How could she feed everyone? What would they do for clothing? Medicine? Schools? All of a sudden her child wasn't the abnormality, but instead the youngest of many. Elizabeth glanced up in time to notice someone she recognized. Rodney's sister, Jeannie had emerged from the gate with a little girl in her arms. Rodney's niece was as adorable as her picture had been.
Jeannie recognized John and her face lit with relief. Rodney appeared out of nowhere and attacked her with one of the fiercest hugs she'd ever seen. Elizabeth had to smile. That was hope. She was still smiling, feeling a tiny bit better as she left the balcony and started down the stairs to John.
Simon was a step behind Jeannie. She recognized him from the back by the set of his shoulders and his brown leather briefcase. Elizabeth's stomach knotted and she caught the railing with one hand.
John saw her falter, and following her eyes he picked out the tall man with shaggy curls as Simon. He sized him up as he walked past. He looked academic, boring, and too stuffy for Elizabeth. For a moment, insecurity suggested that Simon was what Elizabeth liked; the nerdy academic who would be able to debate United Nations policy with her.
As if Simon knew he was being watched, he turned, catching Elizabeth on the stairs. She was deathly pale, like she had been after the eighth day of nuclear talks in Pakistan. He remembered her nearly crawling off the plane at the airport and curling up with Sedgewick for the rest of the weekend. She'd been so stubborn she hadn't let him treat her until her fever had crawled above one hundred degrees and it became obvious she was more than just tired.
Elizabeth erased John's fears when she met his eyes. Her hand was damp with sweat when she caught his, and she let him take some of her weight. "Why is he looking at me?"
"He's realizing he was an idiot," John muttered darkly, making her crack a smile at his jealous streak. He kept himself between her and Simon when it became apparent that Simon wasn't leaving without speaking to her.
"I'm sorry," Elizabeth began softly. Lifting her head to meet Simon's stare would have been hard enough if she wasn't exhausted. Now it was nearly torture. "I know you didn't want..."
"...thank you," Simon interrupted. "Because of you, I'm alive."
"I never meant," Elizabeth sighed heavily, her head hurt badly enough that her eyes were tearing up. "Have you met?"
"Colonel John Sheppard," John amended, both of his hands were on Elizabeth's arm, but he removed one, letting her rest her weight on his shoulder. He stood on the step between both of them with Elizabeth using him for balance and Simon looking through him at her. "I'm the military commander of Atlantis. Sorry for the abrupt welcome. We have a lot going on." He shook Simon's hand politely, trying not to squeeze as hard as he wanted too.
"I'm supposed to..." Simon stopped, watching with a strange tightening of his chest as Elizabeth's hand crept into John's hair on the back of his neck. "...go get quarters."
"Right!" John smiled without a lot of warmth. Taking Elizabeth's hands back, he took a step down the stairs. "It's right that way," he said, using her hand to help point. "Teyla and Ronon are overseeing the process. They'll be happy to help you. Now if you'll excuse us, I have to walk the good doctor here to bed."
Simon's eyebrows narrowed. She was sick then. It was possible she was just tired, but from the way she clung to John he really should have known she wasn't feeling well. "Are you all right?" Had she ever let him carry so much of her?
"I'm fine," Elizabeth answered more forcefully than she intended to. She even retrieved her hands from John's and stood on her own. She'd be dammed if she was going to let Simon diagnose her in the gate room, or anywhere else for that matter. "Actually, Simon, as soon as you have quarters I'd like to ask you a favor, we don't have a lot of doctors and any help you'd be willing to give..."
Simon nodded, realizing it was going to be just business between them. "I'll have someone show me the way," he agreed absently. Work was the best option. Helping people would keep him from thinking until he had time to grieve properly. "It is nice to see you again."
"And a pleasure to meet you," John replied, saving Elizabeth from having to speak. He could feel her arm tremble as he held it against his chest. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you." His exaggerated politeness made Simon just uncomfortable enough for him to enjoy it. He smiled at him, watching Simon find his way to the balcony with the rest of the refugees.
Elizabeth made it out of sight, around the corner and down into the transporter to their quarters before she started to collapse. Wrapping an arm firmly around her waist, John made sure he was ready to catch her if need be. "I don't know if I can carry you," he half-admitted, half-joked. "I didn't get any sleep either."
"Do you think there will be a third evolution of humanity?" Elizabeth asked him suddenly, ignoring his jibe entirely.
John stopped walking, completely taken by surprise. "What are you talking about?" he asked, shaking his head slowly.
"When the Ancients suffered from the plague that nearly wiped them out, they seeded us," Elizabeth explained, her tired mind traveling in tangents. "Now we're wiped out," she continued, hanging onto the wall while he fussed with the door to their quarters. "If the universe travels in cycles where one series of events leads into the next..."
The crystals recognized his hand and chimed to let him in. "...it's time to start over?" John finished for her, leading her directly to the bed as soon as he got through the door. "It's possible," he agreed, kneeling down with a groan to deal with her boots. "We've seen stranger things."
"Do you ever feel like there's an entire story going on somewhere that we're just a tiny, infinitesimal piece of?" Elizabeth asked as she balanced with her hands on his shoulders. "Something so big it's going on all around us and we're just a drop in the bucket, so to speak."
"Arms up," John requested, taking her shirt and pulling it over her head. With it gone she shivered slightly and he hurried. Grabbing one of their sleeping bags he draped it around her shoulders as he started removing her pants.
"Don't know if I'm up for that, fly boy..." Elizabeth teased weakly, winking at him as he slid them down over her hips. She started to undo her bra, but his hands beat her to it. He kissed her neck as he pulled it free.
John left her clothes in a pile on the floor and started to strip himself. "The Ancients always seemed like they had a plan," he supposed, wriggling his black t-shirt off over his muscular back. "At least until they got their butts kicked by the Wraith," he concluded with a thoughtful look. "Maybe it was our turn. The Ancients bult Atlantis, Ancients nearly get killed by Wraith. We take over Atlantis; we're nearly killed by Replicators..."
His pants dropped to the floor and he stepped out of them, the hair on his legs pricking with cold. Elizabeth slid over, making room for him in the bed. Without bothering to do anything else, he dropped like a stone next to her.
"If there's an emergency now, I get up. If there's one while we're trying to sleep tomorrow, that one's for you," he decided as he pulled her close to his chest. Elizabeth folded her arms around his and let the warmth of his body seep into her back.
"Are you going to alternate nights parenting?" she nudged, feeling him chuckle against her. John let her question hang and his breathing started to slow. "Simon hated you," Elizabeth whispered to his arm as she held it.
"I've never figured out why so many men do," John pretended with an innocent lilt in his voice. "Women seem to like me."
"When I saw you in the chair, back on Earth," Elizabeth mused quietly as she watched the stars hang sleepily outside her window. "I knew I needed you."
"Fate had us marked then?" John jabbed, faking a romantic tone.
Elizabeth rolled over, pulling her hands in so she could lay them on his chest. "You could turn on the chair!" she exclaimed sleepily. "Better than anyone else could."
"I knew it," he remarked, kissing her fingers as he lifted them up to her mouth. "You just wanted me for my genetics."
"You do have that mensa IQ..." Elizabeth yawned again, letting the warmth of his chest fill her hands. "And lovely eyes."
He brought his lips to her forehead, tasting the old sweat and the unique taste of her. "I love you," he promised, running his hand down her back until he found the spot he wanted. Elizabeth smiled in her sleep, knowing he was there was enough to wipe away the rest of her worries.
~*~*~*~*~
When she woke up, Elizabeth was alone. Rolling over groggily, she had to remind herself that the stars outside her window were space, not the middle of the night over the ocean. It was hard not to miss the ocean. As she stretched lazily, she realized she heard water, but instead of waves, it was the running water of the shower. Yawning as she sat up, Elizabeth held the sleeping bag up over her chest out of habit.
When the shower stopped, a very naked John Sheppard strolled out of the bathroom. He dried the hair on his head, grinning at her playfully as her eyes ran over his naked body. "Morning," he said, winking and lowering his towel to his neck. In the cool air of their quarters his body almost steamed from the heat of the shower. "You were out cold, so I went for a run and came back to shower."
"No emergencies?" Elizabeth asked, watching a droplet of water find its way down his chest.
"I left Teyla in charge," he explained and captured the droplet with his towel as it ran over his chest. "There's really nothing she can't handle."
"Even hundreds of exhausted, terrified, worn-out refugees from Earth?" Elizabeth mused, disappointed when he wrapped the towel around his waist and searched for his clothes.
"Well, she's pretty good at giving the 'life in Pegasus 101 lecture'," John pointed out. Successfully finding his duffel bag, he pulled his one pair of clean boxers. Elizabeth caught herself shamelessly watching his well-toned butt as he pulled them on. "You're really making this one-sided," he rebuked playfully. "I'm fine with being your object of admiration, however..." John turned around, arms crossed over his chest as he glared at the sleeping bag.
Laughing and starting to blush, Elizabeth looked down at the olive drab sleeping bag and then back at him. "I'll get cold," she complained, still giggling as his eyes rolled in his head.
"Maybe I'll warm you up," John negotiated, turning around to dig up his pants. The sleeping bag rustled on the bed, and when he turned around Elizabeth stood next to it. Her skin nearly glowed in the weak light of the stars and the one light he'd turned on to look for his clothing. Aside from her simple black panties, she was entirely, gloriously naked.
Clasping her hands behind her back and giving him a stern look, Elizabeth watched as he stepped into his pants. "Is this fair enough for you?"
Doing the belt as he crossed the floor to her, John clinked it in place just as he reached her. Feeling her nipples as two hardening points against his chest, he circled her with his arms. "I've heard you were a tough negotiator," he replied with amusement, digging his fingers into the muscles in the small of her back. "I guess they were right."
"You bet they were," Elizabeth tossed back, sighing when he found the knots that had taken up residence there. "Is there anyway just to take the weekend off?"
John chuckled and looked down at her curiously. "I thought you didn't take days off," he said, teasing the elastic the held her panties firmly in place.
"I might occasionally need one," Elizabeth conceded, raising her eyebrows slightly before she released him. "Remember the good old days when our biggest fear was the Wraith?"
"Vaguely," John returned, tossing her a clean towel from the chair. "Laundry's back up and running, if we had some more clothes, we could wash them."
"God," Elizabeth hung up the towel on a smooth metal hook on the wall of the bathroom and stepped out of her panties. "I suppose we aren't getting any more supplies?"
"The Odyssey and the Daedalus are loaded with everything that could be salvaged from the Alpha and Beta sites," John called into the bathroom as he slid into his t-shirt. "Teyla received the last of the personnel this morning. It looks like the head count's holding at eight hundred sixty-five, counting the crews on both ships."
Elizabeth felt the air slip from her chest as she clung to the wall of the shower. Eight hundred of six billion... Swallowing her grief, she reached for the hot water. "Any word from the infirmary?"
"Carson, Doctor Tam, and Doctor Wallace have been working their magic," John called into the bathroom, hearing the water come on as he sat down to pull on his black socks. He wandered the room, collecting their dirty clothes and making sure they landed in a bag he could bring to the laundry. "All of the surgical cases pulled through, he has two patients in comas, but he seems optimistic. The only case that really has him worried is Helia. Her vitals took a turn for the worst last night and he was sending her through the Ancient scanner when I went for my run."
Elizabeth ran her hands over her face and let the hot water take her insecurities away. "And Colonel Carter?" she yelled back over the sound of the shower.
"Complete success, she'll be up and around today, back to her ship in a few more days," John leaned on the wall of the bathroom, watching her through the glass door of the shower. "Found you some clothes, but it's more Air Force pants for you I'm afraid."
Elizabeth laughed slightly as she fumbled for the shampoo with closed eyes. "Could be worse, I guess," she decided optimistically.
John reached around the glass and pushed the shampoo into her hand. "That's the spirit," he agreed, keeping himself as cheerful as possible. "Feeling all right?"
Elizabeth worked the shampoo through the tangled curls of her hair and sighed to the wall. "I'm all right," she replied without enough conviction.
"Nauseous?" he asked, watching foam run down her back.
"I think you should just stop asking me that question," Elizabeth pulled her fingers through her hair and spritzed the water on them at him.
"That bad?" he continued to wonder as he held out the towel.
Shutting off the water, she grabbed for it and pressed it to her face. "It's easier to pretend it doesn't exist, if you stop bringing it up," she rationalized, drying the water from her neck before she attacked her hair.
"Have I mentioned I like you this way?" John offered, arms crossed lazily over his chest.
"Wet?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and started the towel down her body.
"Why Doctor," John tilted his head towards the pile of her clothes on the chair. "Is that some kind of suggestion?"
"Might be," she answered, running a hand across the back of his neck as she passed. He retaliated by stealing her towel and dragging her back to him. John grabbed her ass through the towel, pretending to be drying her skin.
"See you after work?" he teased, promising with his hands to make it worth her while if she did.
"I know it'll be nearly impossible, but could we make time to stop by the infirmary today?" Elizabeth ventured, almost shy now that they were talking about the baby. "Carson's been wanting to do a real exam, now that everything's online, and he's starting to get caught up." Ever since Mab had started visiting her, she'd been afraid. Not of the baby, as she had been before, but for the first time she was afraid for the baby.
"What if he just tells you that you're going to be sick every day for the next thirty weeks-" John was stopped when she threw her hand over his mouth.
"He's not going to say that..." Elizabeth insisted, turning away from him to pull on her clothing. She clung to his arm for balance as she pulled on her panties. "He's going to tell me to take it easy."
"As you should be doing," John chastised, grinning softly as she wriggled into her black bra. He just kept grinning at her breasts as she did up the clasp. "The view from this apartment really is spectacular."
"Oh really?" She giggled slightly, almost nervous as he continued to watch her get dressed. As she sat on the bed, her smile faded. John watched as her shoulders started to slump. "How do I go out there? How do I face all of those people and tell them they have to go on with our lives?"
John turned around the chair that had held her clothes and settled into it backwards, crossing his arms along the back. "Because you're going to," John affirmed. Keeping his gaze on her steady. "Because I'll be there next to you and because everyone out there is tougher than you think."
"Everyone's lost so much," Elizabeth sighed, letting her head fall into her hands. "I don't think there's one person out there who hasn't lost most of their family."
He nudged her foot with his toes. "I'm sorry I won't get to meet your mother," he offered gently, meeting her eyes as she looked up. "I like to tell myself she would have liked me."
"She would have thought you were crazy," Elizabeth started to smile even as her eyes teared up. "A pilot like you giving up command of his own ship to be with me of all people. Not to mention that you were insane enough to get me pregnant, without even knowing how terrible I am when I'm sick."
"I'm going to go with lucky," John said softly, watching as her tears ran down her cheeks. There was something beautiful about the way she cried; how her eyelashes directed her tears down from her ever-serious green eyes.
"And she would have thought you're charming," Elizabeth told him as she sat up, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. "Sometimes, rarely I mean, on your most serious occasions, you remind me of my father. I think she would have liked that about you."
John's lips curled in a proud smile. "They must have been so proud of you," he ventured as he reached to touch her arm, making her lips twitch in weak amusement. "A Ph.D, negotiations with the UN, top secret missions for the US government..."
"My father said he'd be proudest of me when I was happy," she explained softly, concentrating on the warmth in his face. "When I could look him in the eye and tell him I was completely happy, he'd know he had done a good job."
He paused, trying to picture the man who had touched her so. "How are you doing now?" John asked thoughtfully, wondering what it was like to be so close to her parents.
"I don't know," Elizabeth admitted. Reaching up, she captured his hand off her arm and held it close to her chest. "I can't seem to think that far. Today getting out of bed was a victory."
John leaned across, sitting up enough to reach her face. He kissed her damp cheek and breathed in the clean smell of her hair. "Hang onto that," he suggested. "Even small victories call for celebrations...if only small ones. If you're ready, I'll buy you breakfast in the cafeteria, I've heard they are featuring a long line and military rations..."
"You really know how to tempt a woman, don't you?" Elizabeth joked, wiping her face as she stood.
"If you need a minute..." John offered shyly as he returned his chair to the wall, "...and if you want me to go, or stay, or..."
"I can't right now," Elizabeth answered; her voice strained with emotion. He nodded, trying to give her the right space to grieve. "I can't promise I'm not going to collapse into a weeping mess later..."
"...but not right now," John finished for her. He tucked his hands in his pockets and waited just in front of the door. "If you want a shoulder, I've been told mine are pretty decent." He paused, shrugging slightly as the only sign of his nervousness. "I'd understand if you, well, wanted to be alone too."
"I'd rather not..." she stuttered, awkwardly trying not to look at him long enough for her heart to break through her control. "...be alone," she added, "I don't think it would be good for me."
"Okay," he said, nodding simply. "Breakfast then?"
Elizabeth winced slightly, holding her stomach without knowing she was. "Breakfast," she agreed grimly. She was tempted to grab something and disappear into her office to deal with being nauseous on her own. John had a point and he knew it. With morale where it was, they had to be seen in public. They had to prove it was possible to go on with life. Even if that meant demonstrating her aversion to food in front of the entire city. After all, Elizabeth thought, she was lucky her pregnancy wasn't all over the city the minute Rodney had heard about it.