Unexpected by Oparu
Author's Chapter Notes: The team takes off on their mission to save Jack and Mr. Woolsey, but Elizabeth has to stay behind. John and Elizabeth are adults...readers should be as well for this chapter.
Thanks again to the lovely Shannon, who sorts my punctuation
Thanks again to the lovely Shannon, who sorts my punctuation
It smelled like heaven, rich with spice and the scent of fresh meat. Rodney knelt next to the stew pot and closed his eyes. "This is the best thing I've ever smelled," he announced with more optimism than anyone had heard from him for weeks. "When I finally die a glorious death, I want to smell this again."
Teyla stirred the pot of stew and turned to the new bread the Athosians had generously given them. "It will indeed be nice to not eat MREs for a long time," she agreed.
"I know," Rodney chortled gleefully as he examined the bundle of food Ronan set down next to him. "I agree with you, and I like them," he added as he lifted a loaf of bread and sniffed it. "Do we really have to wait for them? All this food, it's right here and..."
"...we wait," Ronan insisted as he grabbed the bread away from Rodney. "We're a team and we eat together."
"You have no idea how long they're going to be, this really isn't fair..." Rodney's complaints ended when light poured from the hallway. "Oh thank you for showing up," he cheered, stealing the bread back from Ronan and tearing a hunk off. He stuffed it into his mouth and waved as the other half of the team approached.
Carson nearly skipped up to Teyla and kissed her cheek. "It's lovely, the smell is lovely, you're lovely..." he trailed off, losing interest in continuing any farther as Ronan handed him a bowl.
Elizabeth shouldn't have been surprised when John remained with her. Though his face held just as much excitement as the good doctor, he was still steadfastly bound to her. He'd always been loyal, but this was beyond what she expected. In her current condition, the smell didn't immediately revive her appetite as it did for everyone else, but she did have to admit she was hungry. Joining her team on the floor, she served herself some of the stew and settled down to eat.
~*~*~*~
"I want you to stay here," John announced up towards the dark ceiling of their bedroom. His hands were folded over his stomach and he lay face up at her side. She was curled up next to him, wrapped in her sleeping bag with her back towards him.
"Stay here?" Elizabeth wondered sleepily as she rolled back towards him. "What do you mean?"
"Tomorrow, when we go on the mission, I want you to stay here," John explained without turning his face towards her. "You can man the gate, make sure we have something to come home to, but I don't want you anywhere near the Replicators."
Anger chased away her drowsiness and she rested her hand on his chest. "Why would I do that?" Elizabeth snapped, turning her frustration into a fist. "You've spent two weeks teaching me to fire an ARG and knocking me down to the mats in the gym so I can sit here and twiddle my thumbs while everyone else on my team risks their lives?"
He caught her fist just above the muscles of his chest. John stared at it, impressed by her resolve. "Because you can't go," he insisted again, sitting up next to her in the pitch dark of the bedroom.
"It's still my life, John," she argued back, feeling her fury run hot through her veins. "No matter what is going on within me, no matter how our relationship changes, I am still in charge of the city and you will not tell me what to do."
"The hell I won't," he shouted, more livid than she'd seen him since Kolya had threatened her life. John's bare feet thudded softly against the floor as he left the bed. He'd taken off his t-shirt to sleep, and in the darkness she could barely make out the dark splotch of his boxers against his skin. He took a deep breath and forced himself to be civil.
"I can't let you," he said without looking at her. "Not as your military commander..."
Her feet were silent in her socks as she left the bed after him. The sleeping bag she held wrapped around her body slithered across the floor behind her like a cloak. "If not as my military commander, what authority do you have?" she wondered, her fury still boiling beneath the surface as she followed him.
"None..." he turned around slowly, not even feeling the cool air on his skin. "I've got nothing," he shrugged weakly, sighing his defeat. "But I can't let you go on the mission."
"I'm going," Elizabeth countered, letting her olive sleeping bag fall slightly, baring pale shoulders and the straps of his black tank top. "And there's nothing you can do to stop me."
John threw his hands out from his body and lost his control. "Dammit I know!" he shouted violently enough to make her jump backwards reflexively.
She squared her shoulders, dropping the sleeping bag entirely. John couldn't help noticing how small she was in his too-big black tank top. With her bra lying in the neat pile with the rest of her clothes, it was obvious even in the dark how her body had begun to change. Her breasts were fuller, rounder than they'd been. She was still gorgeous. Her eyes were flashing with predatory fury and all he wanted was to do was to strip her out of his former shirt.
"I know," John repeated gently as he tried to put his thousand rushing thoughts into a sentence that made sense. "I can't let you risk yourself and the baby."
Fear assaulted her again, ripping up through her stomach with cold fingers. "You don't have a choice," she hissed back, burying the terror beneath her rage.
"I can't let you," he echoed, struggling against the lump in his throat. "I can't put you in the situation where you could lose..."
Hurt flashed across her face, taking the strength out of her shoulders. "You don't trust me?" she spat, angrily interrupting him before he could say what really scared her, "All that time, all our work, the years we spent together, side by side running the city and you can't trust me?" Raising her hand to him, she dropped it a breath away from his face.
"Get out!" she ordered with unbridled scorn, so furious that her eyes nearly glowed in the darkness.
"No!" he refused blatantly, catching her by the shoulders. "Don't put words in my mouth and just listen to me for once."
His fingers dug into her shoulders hard enough to sting, but she was too angry to care. Keeping her hands at her sides, Elizabeth balled them into fists. "You have thirty seconds," she mandated.
"I can't let you go because I can't..." John trailed off, staring into her eyes and terrifying himself with what erupted in his heart. "I can't let them get their filthy hands on you." Releasing her shoulders suddenly, he backed away a step. He tried to look away, but he couldn't. "When I close my eyes I see him. That Niam thing, with his hands around your neck," he choked out as he fled her sight, sinking down to the bed and dropping his head into his hands. "And I can't watch that. I can't even think about that."
"John," she began slowly, unwilling to let go of her anger just yet. "I don't understand..."
"...I love you." The admission fell from his lips, escaping like a projectile weapon. John brought his head up, meeting her eyes as his thousand thoughts faded into one infinitely more dangerous one.
"Oh God, John, you don't..." she whimpered, cutting off as she reached for her head. Sinking back against the wall helped her keep her balance, but just barely. The room swam with tiny sparkles of light that seemed to be coming from inside of her eyes.
"Hey!" he watched her falter and ran across to her. John's arms were her salvation when her legs refused to support her anymore. "Great," he punished himself in a whisper, "Just great, Sheppard."
His shoulder was solid beneath her head and he dragged her back up to her feet before scooping her up in his arms. It was undignified, but necessary when Elizabeth's body stubbornly refused to support her own weight. He'd never held a woman like that before; John realized when he clutched her to his chest. With anyone else it would have been too intimate, and even with her he was afraid. Instead of thinking, he walked to the bed. Leaning down over her as he set her down, he became acutely aware of how thin the fabric between them was.
The bed was soft and warm beneath her when her senses started to return. First it was the smell of his chest, and the hint of fear in his sweat. Then she knew the feeling of his hand on her chest, and the gentleness in his touch.
"Hey," John coaxed as he shook her shoulder, "Come on, don't make me go get Carson, he's grumpy at night."
Elizabeth blinked slowly, wishing her eyes would give up on the sparks that invaded her blurry view of his face. "I did it, didn't I?" she wondered through the residual disorientation.
"You fainted," he explained nervously, "At least; I think that was what happened." John brushed her hair out of her face. "Scared me," he ventured shyly, waiting for his heart to stop pounding.
"Didn't mean too," she apologized weakly as she struggled to lift her head. Elizabeth's only reward was the rush of heat inside her head that threatened her with blackness again.
Watching her eyes start to drift from his, he moved quickly to push her back. "Okay, head down," John commanded, still struggling with the knot in his stomach. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"John," she started desperately, "I..." her voice broke weakly, "...you," Elizabeth struggled to finish. "You understand, don't you?"
He leaned back from the bed, caught somewhere between his fears and his curiosity. John squatted down, feeling the cold floor more intensely on his bare feet. "Not really," he shrugged before resting his chin on his hands. "You sleep," he insisted.
"Cold," she whispered softly, reminding him to pull the sleeping bag up.
John stood up, unzipping the olive sleeping bag all around until it covered the bed in a square. He sat next to her, making sure she stayed with him. Surprise flashed on his face when she pulled him down towards her. Making room on the bed, she insinuated herself into his arms. Her head snuggled into the hollow of his shoulder, and her hands held his arms tightly against her stomach.
"I'm sorry I said..." he struggled out, choking on his uncertainty.
"No..." she interrupted, opening her eyes into the darkness. "Don't be sorry..." Elizabeth yawned, trying vainly to keep herself awake long enough to finish the conversation. "Are you sure you...?"
"...love you?" John filled in for her. "I'm sure." It was easier in the darkness, almost as if it could protect him. "And before you say it, I'm not in love with you because you're pregnant or in my bed. I love you because you're extraordinary." Sighing softly into her hair, he relaxed, letting go of the last of his nervousness. "I don't get people," he admitted as he spooned up closer. "I never know what they're thinking, or what they want, but..." he stopped speaking when a curl of her hair tickled his neck. Shivering with strange feelings, John brought it to his lips.
"...you I want to get," he finished carefully. "I want to know what makes you tick, why you smile, why you agreed to climb into bed with me..." he stopped, giving up on speech as he worried she'd fallen asleep.
Elizabeth turned, rolling over in his arms so her face was just a breath away from his. "You're warm," she teased lightly, trying to find the humor in it. When that failed, her lower lip started to tremble, belying her fear. "I'm afraid," she whispered as she shut her eyes. "I can't fathom any of this," she paused, taking a deep breath. "I can't handle being pregnant..." her voice caught on the lump in her throat, "...but I'm even more afraid of not being pregnant..."
"Shhh..." he hushed her as one of his hands slid over her hip. The skin was soft and cool in his palm. "Carson didn't mean to scare you."
"I know," she said as her head rustled against the pillow. "But I can't get it out of my head. One mistake and it's over. I'll-"
"No you won't," John stopped her with a finger over her mouth. "You won't, I'd never..."
"I know," she answered before he finished. Elizabeth wriggled close enough to brush her lips against his. Kissing him brought warmth to her lips; something she realized she'd been missing as it bled through her body.
John returned the kiss tentatively, unwilling to be the one who pushed her.
Desire sent heat through her body, and it radiated down, reminding her in an instant that his hand was on her skin. Taking it in hers, Elizabeth slid it up her chest, smiling at him slightly in the darkness. "I think you can do better than that," she teased, waiting for his surprise to rush across his face. As soon as he started to reply she kissed him again, pushing him down as she rolled over him.
John was lost in taste of her and the wetness invading his mouth. He caught her shoulders, lifting her from him. The battle between his sense of duty and the mad compulsion to keep kissing her actually hurt. He wanted to grab her and crush her against him, but he only allowed himself to run one hand down her back.
"That's better," she corrected as she nibbled down his chin. "When did you find time to shave?" Elizabeth wondered as she played across the smooth skin of his cheek.
"Borrowed some stuff from Ronon," he volunteered as she started her exploration of his chest. Jumping slightly as she pressed her cool lips into his collarbone, John shivered. "The man is nothing, but prepared."
"I like it," she admitted gently as she balanced on his chest. "The beard just isn't you."
"Are you sure?" John wondered as he cupped her chin. He was acutely aware of the pressure of her breasts against his chest and the way her hips fit into his. Feeling the thin black cotton of his tank top as a fragile barrier between their bodies, he tried not to think about how good it felt to have her there.
"About the beard?" she teased easily, ignoring what he really wanted.
"You just fainted a second ago," he reminded her seriously. Wishing he could just give in and let her have her way with him, John held her up as he fought to be responsible. "You really want to go from that to..."
"I want you," Elizabeth answered softly, pulling the tank top up over her shoulders and tossing it gently to the floor. "Carson didn't say I couldn't make love to you."
"That's what this..." John stopped her gently, momentarily losing his ability to speak as he stared up at her perfect skin. "This is to you?" Making love was distinction he hadn't used before. Some of the women he'd known had used it, but he'd never believed them.
She just kissed him in response, drawing out the sweetness of the moment. "John," she rested on his chest, as comfortable as anyone had ever been there. "I'm sick, I'm confused, I'm absolutely overwhelmed by what's going on here, but..." she struggled against her better sense, eventually giving in to her body. "...I find you very..." her hand dragged down his chest, leaving a tingling sensation behind it. "...very attractive and I'd rather just think about that right now." Elizabeth sat up, twisting her hips as she straddled him.
He gasped and she grinned wickedly. "...okay," John sighed, suddenly shy. "I suppose I shouldn't argue...."
Elizabeth shook her head firmly as she slipped one hand beneath the hem of his boxer shorts. "It's really impolite to argue," she finished with a wink.
Without trusting himself to speak any further, he caught her face and brought her down to kiss him again. Melting his lips with hers let him forget the Replicators who wanted to kill them. Pulling her closer to his chest, he felt his body start to respond to her proximity as sweat broke on his skin.
Elizabeth rocked against him, kissing him as she ran her hands over his chest. Beneath the fine dark hair, a handful of scars nearly hid in weak light. She traced one on his side with her fingertip, curious how he'd collected all of them. What else was in his past that she knew nothing about? How had he learned to sneak his tongue through her mouth like that? Her body shivered when his tongue ran down to her nipple, chasing around it nimbly like one of his fighter pilot tricks. Down between her legs, her panties were quickly becoming damp and frustrating.
Clawing at them with a free hand, she groaned when he stopped her. Biting her lip with annoyance, Elizabeth felt strong fingers take her around the waist and slide down. As she rose up to her knees, he slipped her panties free of her butt, letting her remove them the rest of the way. They disappeared into the sleeping bag, and he teased her with a thrust of his thigh, sending a wave of pleasure through her body. Grinding against him as she came up to kiss him again, she felt his fingers pinch down around her nipples and gasped into his mouth.
John panted, writhing as her fingers discovered the elastic in his boxers and pulled down hard. Giggling as she freed his legs, Elizabeth covered him with her body; crawling up to kiss the surprise out of his face. He bit her lip as small, cool fingers teased him more erect. She bit back, smiling as she licked her way down his chest. Having her on top let him cup both of her breasts, squeezing them to her chest as the rough skin of his hands fought her nipples into points. They were hard against his skin when he pulled her back down to him. Sweat made her back slick as he urged her over his hips.
Waiting was exquisitely painful when she hesitated, studying the need in his eyes. Satisfied by what she found, Elizabeth closed her eyes; letting him slip into her body. Her moan was muffled by his neck. She rocked her hips slowly, trying to convince her body to give her some sense of control. John's fingers found her clit and worked her up until she could barely breathe without screaming. He penetrated her carefully, slower than the last time. As she moaned into his chest, he knew he'd outlast her. Elizabeth's body was already starting to tremble, shivering beneath his touch. He took his hands away from the wet nub of her clit and settled for the skin of her back. Her ribs rolled beneath his hands.
Panting with her as she sat up, John watched one curl of her hair bounce on her shoulder before catching in the sweat of her neck. He made a fist, crushing the sleeping bag beneath him into his hand. Gasping as he released the blanket, he pulled her back down. Running his hand down the softness of her stomach, he slipped it between her legs. Her breath came ragged, like sobbing in his ear. She kissed his neck, sucking the skin until she broke. His back arched him into her; his skin throbbing as she pulled away. Her scream sent him over the edge; primal hunger in her eyes devoured him as something quaked within. He burst, exploding wet and uniting them in the end.
She collapsed on his chest, breathing so quickly he almost feared she'd lose consciousness again. "You're good," she whispered as she searched for air.
He kissed her forehead, tasting the salt of her sweat. He pulled her a little closer to his chest, both proud and slightly relieved she was so contented. Having her lose consciousness in his arms wasn't something he was sure he could handle. "Well, I try..." he replied lamely. As the blissful numbness faded from his body, John wondered if she'd left a mark on his neck. The skin there still stung. He toyed with the damp hair on the back of her head. Realizing how traumatized Rodney would be by any hickey she'd left, he grinned towards the ceiling.
Elizabeth sighed heavily, finally starting to stop shaking. "I think this is going to be good for both of us," she prophesied to his chest as she traced a slow circle up towards his shoulder.
"Might be bad for my sleep," John teased gruffly as she turned up to look at him. He'd never meant to admit his feelings so bluntly. At first he'd been crushed, having her collapse into his arms wasn't very promising, but now he had hope. Hope was the smell of mingled sweat and the wetness of her on his body.
"You're going to be a parent," she reminded him, closing her eyes and sighing softly. "Sleep is going to become very rare indeed."
John squirmed slightly, moving her head to the best place on his chest. Elizabeth was draped over him, curled up so every part of her was touching him. It was deeply, strangely intoxicating. The Replicators didn't matter when he could taste her on his lips.
"Good night," he whispered to the dark head that he was sure was nearly asleep already. Elizabeth murmured something in response, but he doubted it was a word he'd recognize. He pulled up the sleeping bag with his left hand, making sure they'd stay warm through the night. Smiling towards the ceiling he decided that it was all right if she hadn't reciprocated immediately; she'd called it making love, and that, he thought giddily, would have to do for now.
~*~*~*~*~
"All right, that's the plan, everyone know what to do?" John double checked as he made sure his ARG was fully charged.
For her part, Elizabeth nodded, taking heart in the wash of relief that spread across his face. Her stomach twisted, either the Athosian bread she'd eaten that morning was too much, or her stomach knew better than she did how good the chances were that her team was about to leave her forever.
Carson had on his brave face. The one he reserved for life or death occasions where nothing could sway him from going. His fingers twitching as he went over and over his calculations in his mind, Rodney was barely looking at anyone.
He only nodded gruffly at Elizabeth by way of goodbye. "I hooked my laptop into the gate controls," he began quickly. "It'll recognize our IDCs and tell you who's coming back. I've set the shield to come up automatically, so you will need to be here when we get back just so we don't return from our glorious victory to get flattened out of existence..."
"...I'll be here," Elizabeth promised with as much of a smile as she could muster.
"Good," Rodney replied quietly, clinging to his gun was he waved goodbye. "See you." His feet thudded quickly against the metal stairs and he was gone.
Teyla took her shoulders and brought their foreheads together. Elizabeth fought with the tears in her eyes. Her emotional control had become so fragile in the past few days; it felt like her heart was always open. "We will be successful," the shorter woman promised so firmly Elizabeth believed her.
Ronon saluted with his ARG against his forehead as he headed up the stairs with Teyla to the jumper bay. "Want me to bring you back a handful of silver dust?" he offered with his standard neutral expression.
After a moment of silence Elizabeth realized he was joking and her smile became involuntary. "You know, I think I'd like that," she replied softly. "Kill a few for me won't you?"
Carson caught her shoulder. "Take care of yourself now," he cautioned. "No worrying yourself sick while we're away, no coffee, and remember to eat. If you get tired, sit down..."
Surprising both of them Elizabeth hugged him quickly, letting go with a bit of a shove up the stairs she smiled brilliantly at him. "You take good care of Jack and Mr. Woolsey," she insisted. "Make sure he only has good things to say about getting rescued in his report."
Carson shot a look over his shoulder, watching as John stood silently by. "We'll see you soon," he finished as he headed up the stairs with the others; the red medical kit swung over his shoulder.
"Thank you," John began from behind her, "For staying, I mean,I couldn't...I wouldn't be any use to anyone if I was..."
"Worrying about me," Elizabeth finished, finally losing the battle against the stinging tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered when he noticed them. "I just can't seem to..."
John wrapped his arms around her tightly, squeezing her to his chest. "It's okay," he promised, speaking to much more than her tears. "I'll be back in a few hours."
"I know," she replied as she wiped her face dry. "I know you'll be back, I know you have to go, I know you're the best damn team in two galaxies," Elizabeth stopped abruptly, unable to come up with the right thing to say. "I...I..."
"You don't have to," John jumped in, kissing her cheek lightly. "I know." He chuckled slightly, remembering a joke she didn't seem to get. "Ever see Star Wars? The second one where Darth Vader nearly won in the end?"
Elizabeth shook her head numbly, absolutely confused by the relevance.
"See, you're really missing out on some of the classics of American cinema. Movie night, when I get back, I'll have someone on the Daedalus pick them up from my storage locker..."
"John..." she interrupted, surprised at her own frustration. Elizabeth could feel the tears running hot down her cheeks again.
Snapping back from his thoughts, John just smiled lightly. "So Star Wars," he began as he waited with one foot on the first stair. "The girl, Princess Leia, she watches this guy, Han Solo, he's a pilot. Go to what could be his death, and it's this great scene where he's standing there, not sure what's going to happen. And she finally yells over the machines around her that she loves him..."
She couldn't bear listening. "John...I..." Elizabeth began tentatively.
"Let me finish," John begged gently. "So he stands there with this little smile and just says 'I know'. So, Princess," he leaned in and kissed her cheek once more, "I know."
Taking a few steps of the stairs, he paused. John couldn't look at her. He couldn't turn back and watch the fear in her face. "If we aren't back in two days, leave. Go to the Athosian settlement and just stay there. If the Daedalus comes, they'll know to look there."
"You're coming back," Elizabeth insisted fervently. Running up the steps to him, she caught his arm and pulled him back. "You are coming back."
"Two days," John repeated as he painfully turned to face her. "Then go to Teyla's people, they're good people and you won't be alone there. Promise me you won't stay here alone."
"Promise me I won't have to," Elizabeth turned it back on him, pulling him down to kiss the promise into his soul. "You'll come back," she whispered into his neck and she squeezed him tightly into a hug.
"You'll be here," he promised himself, burning the image of her eyes into his memory.
Elizabeth felt the sound of his feet on the stairs as he headed away, each thump resonating through her body like coffin nails being closed down around her. Staring down at the screen of Rodney's laptop did little to distract her from the sound of the jumper bay opening into the gate room a few minutes later. Leaving the desk, she stood on the edge of the balcony, watching as the faces of her team passed by on the way to the gate.
Rodney's jumper dropped into the gate room first. Ronon and Teyla sat stalwartly behind Rodney, ready and unafraid of what waited for them. He met her eyes quickly before taking his jumper through the rippling surface of the gate.
A few moments later, Carson waved from the passenger seat of the second jumper as it dropped into the room. John just watched her, quietly composed behind his controls. He said nothing, didn't move and kept his eyes locked on hers until he was gone.
The blue surface rippled for a moment before going out with a whoosh. When the gate was still it was unnervingly quiet. Wrapping her arms protectively over her chest, Elizabeth tried to come up with something to occupy her mind. The jumpers were out, but they had a long way to go. The Asurans had run through their database, pulled out every address with mention of the Ancients. Rodney was certain they were searching M4A-661; a planet they had written off as a lifeless ball of rock that must have meant something to the Asurans.
Leaving the control panel, Elizabeth picked up the tool kit in one hand and the lantern in the other. Maybe she could get the database working, she thought to herself. The library computers weren't too far from the power room and it would be easier to pass the time if her hands were busy.
~*~*~*~
"I'd sleep, but I'm too nervous to sleep. Was too nervous to sleep last night too, probably get myself killed..." Carson mumbled to himself as the Replicator ship inched closer on the screen. "Are you sure they can't see us?"
John maneuvered quickly, checking his display to make sure Rodney was still behind him. "They can't see us, we haven't run into a single race that can defeat Ancient cloaking devices," he assured the other man gently. "Of course," he paused, furrowing his eyebrows in thought, "They did manage to beat the Ancients and take Atlantis."
"You're really not helping," Carson moaned as he watched the battleship come into focus against the gray surface of the planet. "We're all going to die."
"No, we're not," John corrected firmly as he watched Rodney's jumper slip into position. "If they could see us, they'd have destroyed us by now." He shrugged quickly, adding; "But, as you can see, we haven't been, so we must be all right." He stared at his hands, wondering what Elizabeth was doing. His watch said they'd already been gone nine hours. Was she sleeping? Could she sleep? "Besides, I kinda promised someone we'd come back," he said as he smiled grimly. "We'll be fine."
"Aye, I hope you're right," Carson replied as his adrenaline started to close off his fear. "For all our sakes."
The jumper whirled past the battleship, taking over a minute to cross all of it. Below them the metal skin of the Asuran vessel bristled with weaponry. John whistled softly, "Sometimes you're glad you don't have to fight the bad guys fairly," he explained with a twist of his head towards Carson. Settling the jumper behind the blue-white engines of the battleship, he tapped the radio, "McKay, we're ready over here. How about you?"
Rodney's voice quavered slightly, but he was determined. "We're ready; I just need a moment to charge the capacitor."
"Ready when you are then, Doctor," John leaned back from the controls just long enough to snap the tension out of his back. Stretching his fingers nervously, he waited.
"You know, you only bring up my degree when you need me to save your ass, Sheppard," Rodney complained cheerfully over the radio. "We're charged."
"All right, on three, everyone hang on," John nodded as Carson took the arms of the chair in a death grip. "One...two...three-"
~*~*~*~
Elizabeth crawled out of the floor in the library and yawned against her exhaustion. The timer on her watch beeped past the nine hour mark. They should have reached the Asurans by now. How long would it take to get into position and then fire the weapon? Had they already succeeded? Her stomach twisted uncomfortably and she closed her eyes. Adding nausea to her headache made the time slither by even slower than it was already.
Carson's voice nagged in the back of her mind, telling her that she was pushing too hard. One last crystal in the center of the base should activate the interface pillar, she thought to herself as she forced her stomach to quiet. When it didn't work immediately, she surprised herself by kicking the base.
"Sorry," she stuttered to the ghosts of the Ancients in the empty room. "I just really need this to work..." she trailed off, holding her head in her hands as she tried to push the headache out. Placing her hands on the pedestal, Elizabeth concentrated on the database. Something hummed vaguely and she kicked it again. Immediately the holographic interface snapped to life.
"Please make your inquiry," the hologram stated with polite interest.
"That's better," Elizabeth purred to the computers in the floor. "Can you tell me about a planet called 'Ceol'?"
"Ceol is the sixth planet in a group of eleven," the hologram began in a smooth monotone. "It is inhabited by a small group of human settlers. The days are twenty-seven hours long. The seasons are similar to those of Earth or Altera, with a year lasting four hundred-fifty-six days. Most of the settlements are in a belt around the temperate zone of the equator..."
"...thank you," Elizabeth interrupted firmly. Rubbing her temples with annoyance, she rephrased her question. "Can you tell me about the people of Ceol?" She winced under the light from the hologram, wondering if there was a way to turn the brightness down. Giving up, she lowered her head to her hand and shut her eyes.
"The people of Ceol have a notably high birth rate and a remarkable incidence of favorable genetics," the hologram informed her pleasantly. "Incidence of the gene known as LK476 is at ninety-nine percent."
Elizabeth's head snapped upwards. "LK476 gene?" she asked suddenly. Her headache faded slightly as her curiosity spiked.
"LK476 is known colloquially as the 'Lantian key gene' and is the gene responsible for the ability to activate certain technologies," the hologram explained calmly. "It was created over eleven thousand years ago by a team of geneticists here in Atlantis," the hologram paused and smiled.
Elizabeth shook her head slowly, trying to reconcile what she'd seen. The hologram did not smile. The hologram was devoid of any facial expressions besides patient understanding. She closed her eyes, rubbing them until sparks appeared on her retina. The hologram was still there. Waiting for her input. Deciding she was just overly tired, she asked the question again.
"Who created the gene LK476?" she asked with a sigh of exasperation at her own frailty. Staring down at her feet, Elizabeth wondered if anyone else had noticed that her breasts were larger and heavier than they'd been.
"I did," said a rasping, and completely alien female voice from the other side of the room.
Teyla stirred the pot of stew and turned to the new bread the Athosians had generously given them. "It will indeed be nice to not eat MREs for a long time," she agreed.
"I know," Rodney chortled gleefully as he examined the bundle of food Ronan set down next to him. "I agree with you, and I like them," he added as he lifted a loaf of bread and sniffed it. "Do we really have to wait for them? All this food, it's right here and..."
"...we wait," Ronan insisted as he grabbed the bread away from Rodney. "We're a team and we eat together."
"You have no idea how long they're going to be, this really isn't fair..." Rodney's complaints ended when light poured from the hallway. "Oh thank you for showing up," he cheered, stealing the bread back from Ronan and tearing a hunk off. He stuffed it into his mouth and waved as the other half of the team approached.
Carson nearly skipped up to Teyla and kissed her cheek. "It's lovely, the smell is lovely, you're lovely..." he trailed off, losing interest in continuing any farther as Ronan handed him a bowl.
Elizabeth shouldn't have been surprised when John remained with her. Though his face held just as much excitement as the good doctor, he was still steadfastly bound to her. He'd always been loyal, but this was beyond what she expected. In her current condition, the smell didn't immediately revive her appetite as it did for everyone else, but she did have to admit she was hungry. Joining her team on the floor, she served herself some of the stew and settled down to eat.
~*~*~*~
"I want you to stay here," John announced up towards the dark ceiling of their bedroom. His hands were folded over his stomach and he lay face up at her side. She was curled up next to him, wrapped in her sleeping bag with her back towards him.
"Stay here?" Elizabeth wondered sleepily as she rolled back towards him. "What do you mean?"
"Tomorrow, when we go on the mission, I want you to stay here," John explained without turning his face towards her. "You can man the gate, make sure we have something to come home to, but I don't want you anywhere near the Replicators."
Anger chased away her drowsiness and she rested her hand on his chest. "Why would I do that?" Elizabeth snapped, turning her frustration into a fist. "You've spent two weeks teaching me to fire an ARG and knocking me down to the mats in the gym so I can sit here and twiddle my thumbs while everyone else on my team risks their lives?"
He caught her fist just above the muscles of his chest. John stared at it, impressed by her resolve. "Because you can't go," he insisted again, sitting up next to her in the pitch dark of the bedroom.
"It's still my life, John," she argued back, feeling her fury run hot through her veins. "No matter what is going on within me, no matter how our relationship changes, I am still in charge of the city and you will not tell me what to do."
"The hell I won't," he shouted, more livid than she'd seen him since Kolya had threatened her life. John's bare feet thudded softly against the floor as he left the bed. He'd taken off his t-shirt to sleep, and in the darkness she could barely make out the dark splotch of his boxers against his skin. He took a deep breath and forced himself to be civil.
"I can't let you," he said without looking at her. "Not as your military commander..."
Her feet were silent in her socks as she left the bed after him. The sleeping bag she held wrapped around her body slithered across the floor behind her like a cloak. "If not as my military commander, what authority do you have?" she wondered, her fury still boiling beneath the surface as she followed him.
"None..." he turned around slowly, not even feeling the cool air on his skin. "I've got nothing," he shrugged weakly, sighing his defeat. "But I can't let you go on the mission."
"I'm going," Elizabeth countered, letting her olive sleeping bag fall slightly, baring pale shoulders and the straps of his black tank top. "And there's nothing you can do to stop me."
John threw his hands out from his body and lost his control. "Dammit I know!" he shouted violently enough to make her jump backwards reflexively.
She squared her shoulders, dropping the sleeping bag entirely. John couldn't help noticing how small she was in his too-big black tank top. With her bra lying in the neat pile with the rest of her clothes, it was obvious even in the dark how her body had begun to change. Her breasts were fuller, rounder than they'd been. She was still gorgeous. Her eyes were flashing with predatory fury and all he wanted was to do was to strip her out of his former shirt.
"I know," John repeated gently as he tried to put his thousand rushing thoughts into a sentence that made sense. "I can't let you risk yourself and the baby."
Fear assaulted her again, ripping up through her stomach with cold fingers. "You don't have a choice," she hissed back, burying the terror beneath her rage.
"I can't let you," he echoed, struggling against the lump in his throat. "I can't put you in the situation where you could lose..."
Hurt flashed across her face, taking the strength out of her shoulders. "You don't trust me?" she spat, angrily interrupting him before he could say what really scared her, "All that time, all our work, the years we spent together, side by side running the city and you can't trust me?" Raising her hand to him, she dropped it a breath away from his face.
"Get out!" she ordered with unbridled scorn, so furious that her eyes nearly glowed in the darkness.
"No!" he refused blatantly, catching her by the shoulders. "Don't put words in my mouth and just listen to me for once."
His fingers dug into her shoulders hard enough to sting, but she was too angry to care. Keeping her hands at her sides, Elizabeth balled them into fists. "You have thirty seconds," she mandated.
"I can't let you go because I can't..." John trailed off, staring into her eyes and terrifying himself with what erupted in his heart. "I can't let them get their filthy hands on you." Releasing her shoulders suddenly, he backed away a step. He tried to look away, but he couldn't. "When I close my eyes I see him. That Niam thing, with his hands around your neck," he choked out as he fled her sight, sinking down to the bed and dropping his head into his hands. "And I can't watch that. I can't even think about that."
"John," she began slowly, unwilling to let go of her anger just yet. "I don't understand..."
"...I love you." The admission fell from his lips, escaping like a projectile weapon. John brought his head up, meeting her eyes as his thousand thoughts faded into one infinitely more dangerous one.
"Oh God, John, you don't..." she whimpered, cutting off as she reached for her head. Sinking back against the wall helped her keep her balance, but just barely. The room swam with tiny sparkles of light that seemed to be coming from inside of her eyes.
"Hey!" he watched her falter and ran across to her. John's arms were her salvation when her legs refused to support her anymore. "Great," he punished himself in a whisper, "Just great, Sheppard."
His shoulder was solid beneath her head and he dragged her back up to her feet before scooping her up in his arms. It was undignified, but necessary when Elizabeth's body stubbornly refused to support her own weight. He'd never held a woman like that before; John realized when he clutched her to his chest. With anyone else it would have been too intimate, and even with her he was afraid. Instead of thinking, he walked to the bed. Leaning down over her as he set her down, he became acutely aware of how thin the fabric between them was.
The bed was soft and warm beneath her when her senses started to return. First it was the smell of his chest, and the hint of fear in his sweat. Then she knew the feeling of his hand on her chest, and the gentleness in his touch.
"Hey," John coaxed as he shook her shoulder, "Come on, don't make me go get Carson, he's grumpy at night."
Elizabeth blinked slowly, wishing her eyes would give up on the sparks that invaded her blurry view of his face. "I did it, didn't I?" she wondered through the residual disorientation.
"You fainted," he explained nervously, "At least; I think that was what happened." John brushed her hair out of her face. "Scared me," he ventured shyly, waiting for his heart to stop pounding.
"Didn't mean too," she apologized weakly as she struggled to lift her head. Elizabeth's only reward was the rush of heat inside her head that threatened her with blackness again.
Watching her eyes start to drift from his, he moved quickly to push her back. "Okay, head down," John commanded, still struggling with the knot in his stomach. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"John," she started desperately, "I..." her voice broke weakly, "...you," Elizabeth struggled to finish. "You understand, don't you?"
He leaned back from the bed, caught somewhere between his fears and his curiosity. John squatted down, feeling the cold floor more intensely on his bare feet. "Not really," he shrugged before resting his chin on his hands. "You sleep," he insisted.
"Cold," she whispered softly, reminding him to pull the sleeping bag up.
John stood up, unzipping the olive sleeping bag all around until it covered the bed in a square. He sat next to her, making sure she stayed with him. Surprise flashed on his face when she pulled him down towards her. Making room on the bed, she insinuated herself into his arms. Her head snuggled into the hollow of his shoulder, and her hands held his arms tightly against her stomach.
"I'm sorry I said..." he struggled out, choking on his uncertainty.
"No..." she interrupted, opening her eyes into the darkness. "Don't be sorry..." Elizabeth yawned, trying vainly to keep herself awake long enough to finish the conversation. "Are you sure you...?"
"...love you?" John filled in for her. "I'm sure." It was easier in the darkness, almost as if it could protect him. "And before you say it, I'm not in love with you because you're pregnant or in my bed. I love you because you're extraordinary." Sighing softly into her hair, he relaxed, letting go of the last of his nervousness. "I don't get people," he admitted as he spooned up closer. "I never know what they're thinking, or what they want, but..." he stopped speaking when a curl of her hair tickled his neck. Shivering with strange feelings, John brought it to his lips.
"...you I want to get," he finished carefully. "I want to know what makes you tick, why you smile, why you agreed to climb into bed with me..." he stopped, giving up on speech as he worried she'd fallen asleep.
Elizabeth turned, rolling over in his arms so her face was just a breath away from his. "You're warm," she teased lightly, trying to find the humor in it. When that failed, her lower lip started to tremble, belying her fear. "I'm afraid," she whispered as she shut her eyes. "I can't fathom any of this," she paused, taking a deep breath. "I can't handle being pregnant..." her voice caught on the lump in her throat, "...but I'm even more afraid of not being pregnant..."
"Shhh..." he hushed her as one of his hands slid over her hip. The skin was soft and cool in his palm. "Carson didn't mean to scare you."
"I know," she said as her head rustled against the pillow. "But I can't get it out of my head. One mistake and it's over. I'll-"
"No you won't," John stopped her with a finger over her mouth. "You won't, I'd never..."
"I know," she answered before he finished. Elizabeth wriggled close enough to brush her lips against his. Kissing him brought warmth to her lips; something she realized she'd been missing as it bled through her body.
John returned the kiss tentatively, unwilling to be the one who pushed her.
Desire sent heat through her body, and it radiated down, reminding her in an instant that his hand was on her skin. Taking it in hers, Elizabeth slid it up her chest, smiling at him slightly in the darkness. "I think you can do better than that," she teased, waiting for his surprise to rush across his face. As soon as he started to reply she kissed him again, pushing him down as she rolled over him.
John was lost in taste of her and the wetness invading his mouth. He caught her shoulders, lifting her from him. The battle between his sense of duty and the mad compulsion to keep kissing her actually hurt. He wanted to grab her and crush her against him, but he only allowed himself to run one hand down her back.
"That's better," she corrected as she nibbled down his chin. "When did you find time to shave?" Elizabeth wondered as she played across the smooth skin of his cheek.
"Borrowed some stuff from Ronon," he volunteered as she started her exploration of his chest. Jumping slightly as she pressed her cool lips into his collarbone, John shivered. "The man is nothing, but prepared."
"I like it," she admitted gently as she balanced on his chest. "The beard just isn't you."
"Are you sure?" John wondered as he cupped her chin. He was acutely aware of the pressure of her breasts against his chest and the way her hips fit into his. Feeling the thin black cotton of his tank top as a fragile barrier between their bodies, he tried not to think about how good it felt to have her there.
"About the beard?" she teased easily, ignoring what he really wanted.
"You just fainted a second ago," he reminded her seriously. Wishing he could just give in and let her have her way with him, John held her up as he fought to be responsible. "You really want to go from that to..."
"I want you," Elizabeth answered softly, pulling the tank top up over her shoulders and tossing it gently to the floor. "Carson didn't say I couldn't make love to you."
"That's what this..." John stopped her gently, momentarily losing his ability to speak as he stared up at her perfect skin. "This is to you?" Making love was distinction he hadn't used before. Some of the women he'd known had used it, but he'd never believed them.
She just kissed him in response, drawing out the sweetness of the moment. "John," she rested on his chest, as comfortable as anyone had ever been there. "I'm sick, I'm confused, I'm absolutely overwhelmed by what's going on here, but..." she struggled against her better sense, eventually giving in to her body. "...I find you very..." her hand dragged down his chest, leaving a tingling sensation behind it. "...very attractive and I'd rather just think about that right now." Elizabeth sat up, twisting her hips as she straddled him.
He gasped and she grinned wickedly. "...okay," John sighed, suddenly shy. "I suppose I shouldn't argue...."
Elizabeth shook her head firmly as she slipped one hand beneath the hem of his boxer shorts. "It's really impolite to argue," she finished with a wink.
Without trusting himself to speak any further, he caught her face and brought her down to kiss him again. Melting his lips with hers let him forget the Replicators who wanted to kill them. Pulling her closer to his chest, he felt his body start to respond to her proximity as sweat broke on his skin.
Elizabeth rocked against him, kissing him as she ran her hands over his chest. Beneath the fine dark hair, a handful of scars nearly hid in weak light. She traced one on his side with her fingertip, curious how he'd collected all of them. What else was in his past that she knew nothing about? How had he learned to sneak his tongue through her mouth like that? Her body shivered when his tongue ran down to her nipple, chasing around it nimbly like one of his fighter pilot tricks. Down between her legs, her panties were quickly becoming damp and frustrating.
Clawing at them with a free hand, she groaned when he stopped her. Biting her lip with annoyance, Elizabeth felt strong fingers take her around the waist and slide down. As she rose up to her knees, he slipped her panties free of her butt, letting her remove them the rest of the way. They disappeared into the sleeping bag, and he teased her with a thrust of his thigh, sending a wave of pleasure through her body. Grinding against him as she came up to kiss him again, she felt his fingers pinch down around her nipples and gasped into his mouth.
John panted, writhing as her fingers discovered the elastic in his boxers and pulled down hard. Giggling as she freed his legs, Elizabeth covered him with her body; crawling up to kiss the surprise out of his face. He bit her lip as small, cool fingers teased him more erect. She bit back, smiling as she licked her way down his chest. Having her on top let him cup both of her breasts, squeezing them to her chest as the rough skin of his hands fought her nipples into points. They were hard against his skin when he pulled her back down to him. Sweat made her back slick as he urged her over his hips.
Waiting was exquisitely painful when she hesitated, studying the need in his eyes. Satisfied by what she found, Elizabeth closed her eyes; letting him slip into her body. Her moan was muffled by his neck. She rocked her hips slowly, trying to convince her body to give her some sense of control. John's fingers found her clit and worked her up until she could barely breathe without screaming. He penetrated her carefully, slower than the last time. As she moaned into his chest, he knew he'd outlast her. Elizabeth's body was already starting to tremble, shivering beneath his touch. He took his hands away from the wet nub of her clit and settled for the skin of her back. Her ribs rolled beneath his hands.
Panting with her as she sat up, John watched one curl of her hair bounce on her shoulder before catching in the sweat of her neck. He made a fist, crushing the sleeping bag beneath him into his hand. Gasping as he released the blanket, he pulled her back down. Running his hand down the softness of her stomach, he slipped it between her legs. Her breath came ragged, like sobbing in his ear. She kissed his neck, sucking the skin until she broke. His back arched him into her; his skin throbbing as she pulled away. Her scream sent him over the edge; primal hunger in her eyes devoured him as something quaked within. He burst, exploding wet and uniting them in the end.
She collapsed on his chest, breathing so quickly he almost feared she'd lose consciousness again. "You're good," she whispered as she searched for air.
He kissed her forehead, tasting the salt of her sweat. He pulled her a little closer to his chest, both proud and slightly relieved she was so contented. Having her lose consciousness in his arms wasn't something he was sure he could handle. "Well, I try..." he replied lamely. As the blissful numbness faded from his body, John wondered if she'd left a mark on his neck. The skin there still stung. He toyed with the damp hair on the back of her head. Realizing how traumatized Rodney would be by any hickey she'd left, he grinned towards the ceiling.
Elizabeth sighed heavily, finally starting to stop shaking. "I think this is going to be good for both of us," she prophesied to his chest as she traced a slow circle up towards his shoulder.
"Might be bad for my sleep," John teased gruffly as she turned up to look at him. He'd never meant to admit his feelings so bluntly. At first he'd been crushed, having her collapse into his arms wasn't very promising, but now he had hope. Hope was the smell of mingled sweat and the wetness of her on his body.
"You're going to be a parent," she reminded him, closing her eyes and sighing softly. "Sleep is going to become very rare indeed."
John squirmed slightly, moving her head to the best place on his chest. Elizabeth was draped over him, curled up so every part of her was touching him. It was deeply, strangely intoxicating. The Replicators didn't matter when he could taste her on his lips.
"Good night," he whispered to the dark head that he was sure was nearly asleep already. Elizabeth murmured something in response, but he doubted it was a word he'd recognize. He pulled up the sleeping bag with his left hand, making sure they'd stay warm through the night. Smiling towards the ceiling he decided that it was all right if she hadn't reciprocated immediately; she'd called it making love, and that, he thought giddily, would have to do for now.
~*~*~*~*~
"All right, that's the plan, everyone know what to do?" John double checked as he made sure his ARG was fully charged.
For her part, Elizabeth nodded, taking heart in the wash of relief that spread across his face. Her stomach twisted, either the Athosian bread she'd eaten that morning was too much, or her stomach knew better than she did how good the chances were that her team was about to leave her forever.
Carson had on his brave face. The one he reserved for life or death occasions where nothing could sway him from going. His fingers twitching as he went over and over his calculations in his mind, Rodney was barely looking at anyone.
He only nodded gruffly at Elizabeth by way of goodbye. "I hooked my laptop into the gate controls," he began quickly. "It'll recognize our IDCs and tell you who's coming back. I've set the shield to come up automatically, so you will need to be here when we get back just so we don't return from our glorious victory to get flattened out of existence..."
"...I'll be here," Elizabeth promised with as much of a smile as she could muster.
"Good," Rodney replied quietly, clinging to his gun was he waved goodbye. "See you." His feet thudded quickly against the metal stairs and he was gone.
Teyla took her shoulders and brought their foreheads together. Elizabeth fought with the tears in her eyes. Her emotional control had become so fragile in the past few days; it felt like her heart was always open. "We will be successful," the shorter woman promised so firmly Elizabeth believed her.
Ronon saluted with his ARG against his forehead as he headed up the stairs with Teyla to the jumper bay. "Want me to bring you back a handful of silver dust?" he offered with his standard neutral expression.
After a moment of silence Elizabeth realized he was joking and her smile became involuntary. "You know, I think I'd like that," she replied softly. "Kill a few for me won't you?"
Carson caught her shoulder. "Take care of yourself now," he cautioned. "No worrying yourself sick while we're away, no coffee, and remember to eat. If you get tired, sit down..."
Surprising both of them Elizabeth hugged him quickly, letting go with a bit of a shove up the stairs she smiled brilliantly at him. "You take good care of Jack and Mr. Woolsey," she insisted. "Make sure he only has good things to say about getting rescued in his report."
Carson shot a look over his shoulder, watching as John stood silently by. "We'll see you soon," he finished as he headed up the stairs with the others; the red medical kit swung over his shoulder.
"Thank you," John began from behind her, "For staying, I mean,I couldn't...I wouldn't be any use to anyone if I was..."
"Worrying about me," Elizabeth finished, finally losing the battle against the stinging tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered when he noticed them. "I just can't seem to..."
John wrapped his arms around her tightly, squeezing her to his chest. "It's okay," he promised, speaking to much more than her tears. "I'll be back in a few hours."
"I know," she replied as she wiped her face dry. "I know you'll be back, I know you have to go, I know you're the best damn team in two galaxies," Elizabeth stopped abruptly, unable to come up with the right thing to say. "I...I..."
"You don't have to," John jumped in, kissing her cheek lightly. "I know." He chuckled slightly, remembering a joke she didn't seem to get. "Ever see Star Wars? The second one where Darth Vader nearly won in the end?"
Elizabeth shook her head numbly, absolutely confused by the relevance.
"See, you're really missing out on some of the classics of American cinema. Movie night, when I get back, I'll have someone on the Daedalus pick them up from my storage locker..."
"John..." she interrupted, surprised at her own frustration. Elizabeth could feel the tears running hot down her cheeks again.
Snapping back from his thoughts, John just smiled lightly. "So Star Wars," he began as he waited with one foot on the first stair. "The girl, Princess Leia, she watches this guy, Han Solo, he's a pilot. Go to what could be his death, and it's this great scene where he's standing there, not sure what's going to happen. And she finally yells over the machines around her that she loves him..."
She couldn't bear listening. "John...I..." Elizabeth began tentatively.
"Let me finish," John begged gently. "So he stands there with this little smile and just says 'I know'. So, Princess," he leaned in and kissed her cheek once more, "I know."
Taking a few steps of the stairs, he paused. John couldn't look at her. He couldn't turn back and watch the fear in her face. "If we aren't back in two days, leave. Go to the Athosian settlement and just stay there. If the Daedalus comes, they'll know to look there."
"You're coming back," Elizabeth insisted fervently. Running up the steps to him, she caught his arm and pulled him back. "You are coming back."
"Two days," John repeated as he painfully turned to face her. "Then go to Teyla's people, they're good people and you won't be alone there. Promise me you won't stay here alone."
"Promise me I won't have to," Elizabeth turned it back on him, pulling him down to kiss the promise into his soul. "You'll come back," she whispered into his neck and she squeezed him tightly into a hug.
"You'll be here," he promised himself, burning the image of her eyes into his memory.
Elizabeth felt the sound of his feet on the stairs as he headed away, each thump resonating through her body like coffin nails being closed down around her. Staring down at the screen of Rodney's laptop did little to distract her from the sound of the jumper bay opening into the gate room a few minutes later. Leaving the desk, she stood on the edge of the balcony, watching as the faces of her team passed by on the way to the gate.
Rodney's jumper dropped into the gate room first. Ronon and Teyla sat stalwartly behind Rodney, ready and unafraid of what waited for them. He met her eyes quickly before taking his jumper through the rippling surface of the gate.
A few moments later, Carson waved from the passenger seat of the second jumper as it dropped into the room. John just watched her, quietly composed behind his controls. He said nothing, didn't move and kept his eyes locked on hers until he was gone.
The blue surface rippled for a moment before going out with a whoosh. When the gate was still it was unnervingly quiet. Wrapping her arms protectively over her chest, Elizabeth tried to come up with something to occupy her mind. The jumpers were out, but they had a long way to go. The Asurans had run through their database, pulled out every address with mention of the Ancients. Rodney was certain they were searching M4A-661; a planet they had written off as a lifeless ball of rock that must have meant something to the Asurans.
Leaving the control panel, Elizabeth picked up the tool kit in one hand and the lantern in the other. Maybe she could get the database working, she thought to herself. The library computers weren't too far from the power room and it would be easier to pass the time if her hands were busy.
~*~*~*~
"I'd sleep, but I'm too nervous to sleep. Was too nervous to sleep last night too, probably get myself killed..." Carson mumbled to himself as the Replicator ship inched closer on the screen. "Are you sure they can't see us?"
John maneuvered quickly, checking his display to make sure Rodney was still behind him. "They can't see us, we haven't run into a single race that can defeat Ancient cloaking devices," he assured the other man gently. "Of course," he paused, furrowing his eyebrows in thought, "They did manage to beat the Ancients and take Atlantis."
"You're really not helping," Carson moaned as he watched the battleship come into focus against the gray surface of the planet. "We're all going to die."
"No, we're not," John corrected firmly as he watched Rodney's jumper slip into position. "If they could see us, they'd have destroyed us by now." He shrugged quickly, adding; "But, as you can see, we haven't been, so we must be all right." He stared at his hands, wondering what Elizabeth was doing. His watch said they'd already been gone nine hours. Was she sleeping? Could she sleep? "Besides, I kinda promised someone we'd come back," he said as he smiled grimly. "We'll be fine."
"Aye, I hope you're right," Carson replied as his adrenaline started to close off his fear. "For all our sakes."
The jumper whirled past the battleship, taking over a minute to cross all of it. Below them the metal skin of the Asuran vessel bristled with weaponry. John whistled softly, "Sometimes you're glad you don't have to fight the bad guys fairly," he explained with a twist of his head towards Carson. Settling the jumper behind the blue-white engines of the battleship, he tapped the radio, "McKay, we're ready over here. How about you?"
Rodney's voice quavered slightly, but he was determined. "We're ready; I just need a moment to charge the capacitor."
"Ready when you are then, Doctor," John leaned back from the controls just long enough to snap the tension out of his back. Stretching his fingers nervously, he waited.
"You know, you only bring up my degree when you need me to save your ass, Sheppard," Rodney complained cheerfully over the radio. "We're charged."
"All right, on three, everyone hang on," John nodded as Carson took the arms of the chair in a death grip. "One...two...three-"
~*~*~*~
Elizabeth crawled out of the floor in the library and yawned against her exhaustion. The timer on her watch beeped past the nine hour mark. They should have reached the Asurans by now. How long would it take to get into position and then fire the weapon? Had they already succeeded? Her stomach twisted uncomfortably and she closed her eyes. Adding nausea to her headache made the time slither by even slower than it was already.
Carson's voice nagged in the back of her mind, telling her that she was pushing too hard. One last crystal in the center of the base should activate the interface pillar, she thought to herself as she forced her stomach to quiet. When it didn't work immediately, she surprised herself by kicking the base.
"Sorry," she stuttered to the ghosts of the Ancients in the empty room. "I just really need this to work..." she trailed off, holding her head in her hands as she tried to push the headache out. Placing her hands on the pedestal, Elizabeth concentrated on the database. Something hummed vaguely and she kicked it again. Immediately the holographic interface snapped to life.
"Please make your inquiry," the hologram stated with polite interest.
"That's better," Elizabeth purred to the computers in the floor. "Can you tell me about a planet called 'Ceol'?"
"Ceol is the sixth planet in a group of eleven," the hologram began in a smooth monotone. "It is inhabited by a small group of human settlers. The days are twenty-seven hours long. The seasons are similar to those of Earth or Altera, with a year lasting four hundred-fifty-six days. Most of the settlements are in a belt around the temperate zone of the equator..."
"...thank you," Elizabeth interrupted firmly. Rubbing her temples with annoyance, she rephrased her question. "Can you tell me about the people of Ceol?" She winced under the light from the hologram, wondering if there was a way to turn the brightness down. Giving up, she lowered her head to her hand and shut her eyes.
"The people of Ceol have a notably high birth rate and a remarkable incidence of favorable genetics," the hologram informed her pleasantly. "Incidence of the gene known as LK476 is at ninety-nine percent."
Elizabeth's head snapped upwards. "LK476 gene?" she asked suddenly. Her headache faded slightly as her curiosity spiked.
"LK476 is known colloquially as the 'Lantian key gene' and is the gene responsible for the ability to activate certain technologies," the hologram explained calmly. "It was created over eleven thousand years ago by a team of geneticists here in Atlantis," the hologram paused and smiled.
Elizabeth shook her head slowly, trying to reconcile what she'd seen. The hologram did not smile. The hologram was devoid of any facial expressions besides patient understanding. She closed her eyes, rubbing them until sparks appeared on her retina. The hologram was still there. Waiting for her input. Deciding she was just overly tired, she asked the question again.
"Who created the gene LK476?" she asked with a sigh of exasperation at her own frailty. Staring down at her feet, Elizabeth wondered if anyone else had noticed that her breasts were larger and heavier than they'd been.
"I did," said a rasping, and completely alien female voice from the other side of the room.