Ok, so I've decided to post the first part of my new AU fic here. I know it's stupid to do it right before the post-a-thon as barely anyone will read it, but still, if you happen to read it, lemme know your thoughts on it.
Remember, this isn't beta'd and only once looked over.
Remember, this isn't beta'd and only once looked over.
Spoiler:
Elizabeth Weir looked up from the framed photo she had been holding in her hands when a knock on her door brought her out of the deep thoughts she had been lost in.
She called whoever was on the other side in and wasn’t really surprised when John Sheppard entered her quarters.
He looked over the open suitcase on her bed, clothes strewn over it and the frame in her hands. Somehow the mess surprised him; he had always imagined she’d be a much more immaculate packer.
“Woolsey scheduled to dial Earth in two hours.” He sounded much more detached than he had expected. It made him inwardly cringe.
“Thank you.” She turned away from him and placed the frame back on her nightstand. It was only then that John had a decent view of it. He remembered the day the picture was taken like it was yesterday. It was the day he had kissed her for the first time.
Three years before
The second New Year’s party in Atlantis was in full swing and John could already feel the sting of the Athosian brewed alcohol. McKay and Carson seemed to be affected a lot more by it though. They were poking each other in the chest to try and put some extra strength behind the slurry points they were trying to make.
“You think I’ll have a chief science and a medical chief up and running in the morning?”
“No chance.” John grinned and turned to Elizabeth. “I don’t think many of the expedition will be up and running in the morning.”
“Good point and midnight hasn’t even passed yet.”
“Ah, let them, it’s only new year once a year.”
“We’d be having some really weird time issues if we had New Year several times a year.”
His grin slightly grew. “Don’t forget that we are working for the Stargate program and stranger things have known to happen.”
“True.” She laughed, also slightly feeling the effects of the alcohol.
“Say cheese!”
Both turned to Chuck as he snapped their picture. Unbeknownst to John and Elizabeth, Rodney and Carson made bunny ears behind their backs with the goofiest smirks on their faces.
“Thanks guys.” Chuck grinned and walked away with his treasure.
“10”
John looked around surprised.
“9”
“Almost midnight”
“8”
“Yeah.” Elizabeth said and turned to him.
“7”
John stared in her eyes.
“6”
Elizabeth stared back without hesitation.
“5”
They could blame the alcohol, couldn’t they?
“4”
The silent stare between them continued.
“3”
They moved a little closer together.
“2”
Just a little closer.
“1”
He cupped her cheek in his palm and gently brushed his thumb over the smooth skin. Happy new years were being shouted all around them with people hugging, kissing and laughing but right now, they only saw each other.
They slowly floated closer together until their lips softly brushed in a tender kiss. Neither let it deepen, yet it told them more than words ever could.
When their lips finally loosened with a soft plop, they smiled warmly at each other.
“Happy new year, ‘lizbeth.”
“Happy new year, John.”
Present
John stared at the picture of him and Elizabeth and a very goofy looking Rodney and Carson in the background making stupid bunny ears. It was the first time he and Elizabeth had really kissed and they had only ever allowed themselves to kiss each other once every year: exactly at midnight when the old year turned into the New Year. Two months ago they had shared their third kiss on that evening and John swore he could still taste her on his lips. The kisses had never deepened; they couldn’t afford to let them deepen, no matter how much they both wanted it.
He slowly traced the frame of the picture as Elizabeth silently watched him, a red shirt forgotten in her hands. She knew what he was thinking about. Heck, she was thinking about the same thing when she’d been watching the picture right before he entered.
“John…”
She saw him swallow and it looked painfully forced.
“It’s not fair.” He whispered barely audible.
“I know.” She answered just as quietly.
“You’re being punished for solving all the **** in this galaxy.” His voice slowly rose. He was angry and she couldn’t blame him. She was angry too yet her reply was simple.
“I know.”
“We eradicated the Asurans, the Wraith are barely non-existent anymore and now they want to replace you?” He nearly growled the last couple of words and it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. He was really pissed off and she really couldn’t blame him.
Instead of repeating herself again she simply nodded.
“And who do they send to replace you? Woolsey! I mean… Woolsey? Really? They couldn’t find a bigger idiot?”
“John, give him a chance.”
“Why the hell would I? There is no reason to replace you. You’ve been leading this expedition for the last four years without anyone here questioning your actions and decisions. We would go to hell and back for you. I’m quite sure the same can’t be said about Woolsey.”
“It could change, just give him a chance.”
John sighed. “I don’t want to give him a chance. I want you…” He swallowed again. “I want you to stay. You belong here.”
She knew how difficult this was for him, baring his emotions like this.
“I want to stay too, but the IOA made their decision.”
“The IOA are idiots.”
She gave him a weak smile.
“You want to help me finish packing?”
He nodded solemnly, knowing he didn’t really want to help her but he didn’t want to leave her yet either.
Elizabeth slowly folded the red t-shirt she’d been holding during their conversation.
“What do you want me to do?” John asked as he looked around her room.
She pointed to the shelves against one of the walls. “I can’t take the obvious “alien” stuff with me, so can you sort out what’s on there?”
He nodded and walked towards all the little trinkets. Some of them he recognized as birthday presents he had given her over the years and some of those looked really like they came from another planet. ****.
“So, I guess you’re going to have to leave this?” He asked as he turned back to her, showing her the clay-like vase that refilled its own water as long as there were flowers in it.
“Well, it would be hard to explain to my mother why she wouldn’t have to refill that vase when she’s looking after my plants when I’m out of town.”
“You’re not even back home yet and already you’re going out of town?” He asked with a slight smirk.
She shrugged. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet. The UN offered me a job, as did the SGC and the IOA. Even the president says he’s got a position for me if I’m interested.”
“But?”
“But I’m not sure if I want another highly stressful job. Leading this expedition was the best and most amazing thing that could ever happen to me, but I’m not sure if I want anything on the same stress level so soon.”
“Not sure if anything else would ever reach the same stress level.”
“True, but still. I can assure you that trying to negotiate between two warring tribes can be extremely stressful too.”
“Don’t doubt that. I still clearly remember the talks between the Falnori and the Nistra.”
“Not something I’ll easily forget.”
He nodded because he would never forget that time either. It was the only time he’d been on the verge of resigning his commission since he’d been on Atlantis.
“I’m actually thinking of teaching Political History at Georgetown.”
John raised an eyebrow. “Political History?”
She nodded.
“Sounds really boring.”
Elizabeth laughed. “It is, but someone has to do it.”
“You’ll be bored to death within days.”
She laughed again. “Maybe, but I still want to try it. Some calm after the storm.”
Grinning, he put the auto-vase as he had called it, in one of the boxes. “They also say there’s always a storm after the calm.”
“I’m going to try avoiding that storm. And why are you putting that vase in that box?”
“Well, since you’re teaching at Georgetown, your mother won’t be watering your plants, so you can take it with you.”
“I haven’t decided on Georgetown yet.”
He looked at her for a few moments. “Yes you have.”
He knew her too well.
She called whoever was on the other side in and wasn’t really surprised when John Sheppard entered her quarters.
He looked over the open suitcase on her bed, clothes strewn over it and the frame in her hands. Somehow the mess surprised him; he had always imagined she’d be a much more immaculate packer.
“Woolsey scheduled to dial Earth in two hours.” He sounded much more detached than he had expected. It made him inwardly cringe.
“Thank you.” She turned away from him and placed the frame back on her nightstand. It was only then that John had a decent view of it. He remembered the day the picture was taken like it was yesterday. It was the day he had kissed her for the first time.
Three years before
The second New Year’s party in Atlantis was in full swing and John could already feel the sting of the Athosian brewed alcohol. McKay and Carson seemed to be affected a lot more by it though. They were poking each other in the chest to try and put some extra strength behind the slurry points they were trying to make.
“You think I’ll have a chief science and a medical chief up and running in the morning?”
“No chance.” John grinned and turned to Elizabeth. “I don’t think many of the expedition will be up and running in the morning.”
“Good point and midnight hasn’t even passed yet.”
“Ah, let them, it’s only new year once a year.”
“We’d be having some really weird time issues if we had New Year several times a year.”
His grin slightly grew. “Don’t forget that we are working for the Stargate program and stranger things have known to happen.”
“True.” She laughed, also slightly feeling the effects of the alcohol.
“Say cheese!”
Both turned to Chuck as he snapped their picture. Unbeknownst to John and Elizabeth, Rodney and Carson made bunny ears behind their backs with the goofiest smirks on their faces.
“Thanks guys.” Chuck grinned and walked away with his treasure.
“10”
John looked around surprised.
“9”
“Almost midnight”
“8”
“Yeah.” Elizabeth said and turned to him.
“7”
John stared in her eyes.
“6”
Elizabeth stared back without hesitation.
“5”
They could blame the alcohol, couldn’t they?
“4”
The silent stare between them continued.
“3”
They moved a little closer together.
“2”
Just a little closer.
“1”
He cupped her cheek in his palm and gently brushed his thumb over the smooth skin. Happy new years were being shouted all around them with people hugging, kissing and laughing but right now, they only saw each other.
They slowly floated closer together until their lips softly brushed in a tender kiss. Neither let it deepen, yet it told them more than words ever could.
When their lips finally loosened with a soft plop, they smiled warmly at each other.
“Happy new year, ‘lizbeth.”
“Happy new year, John.”
Present
John stared at the picture of him and Elizabeth and a very goofy looking Rodney and Carson in the background making stupid bunny ears. It was the first time he and Elizabeth had really kissed and they had only ever allowed themselves to kiss each other once every year: exactly at midnight when the old year turned into the New Year. Two months ago they had shared their third kiss on that evening and John swore he could still taste her on his lips. The kisses had never deepened; they couldn’t afford to let them deepen, no matter how much they both wanted it.
He slowly traced the frame of the picture as Elizabeth silently watched him, a red shirt forgotten in her hands. She knew what he was thinking about. Heck, she was thinking about the same thing when she’d been watching the picture right before he entered.
“John…”
She saw him swallow and it looked painfully forced.
“It’s not fair.” He whispered barely audible.
“I know.” She answered just as quietly.
“You’re being punished for solving all the **** in this galaxy.” His voice slowly rose. He was angry and she couldn’t blame him. She was angry too yet her reply was simple.
“I know.”
“We eradicated the Asurans, the Wraith are barely non-existent anymore and now they want to replace you?” He nearly growled the last couple of words and it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. He was really pissed off and she really couldn’t blame him.
Instead of repeating herself again she simply nodded.
“And who do they send to replace you? Woolsey! I mean… Woolsey? Really? They couldn’t find a bigger idiot?”
“John, give him a chance.”
“Why the hell would I? There is no reason to replace you. You’ve been leading this expedition for the last four years without anyone here questioning your actions and decisions. We would go to hell and back for you. I’m quite sure the same can’t be said about Woolsey.”
“It could change, just give him a chance.”
John sighed. “I don’t want to give him a chance. I want you…” He swallowed again. “I want you to stay. You belong here.”
She knew how difficult this was for him, baring his emotions like this.
“I want to stay too, but the IOA made their decision.”
“The IOA are idiots.”
She gave him a weak smile.
“You want to help me finish packing?”
He nodded solemnly, knowing he didn’t really want to help her but he didn’t want to leave her yet either.
Elizabeth slowly folded the red t-shirt she’d been holding during their conversation.
“What do you want me to do?” John asked as he looked around her room.
She pointed to the shelves against one of the walls. “I can’t take the obvious “alien” stuff with me, so can you sort out what’s on there?”
He nodded and walked towards all the little trinkets. Some of them he recognized as birthday presents he had given her over the years and some of those looked really like they came from another planet. ****.
“So, I guess you’re going to have to leave this?” He asked as he turned back to her, showing her the clay-like vase that refilled its own water as long as there were flowers in it.
“Well, it would be hard to explain to my mother why she wouldn’t have to refill that vase when she’s looking after my plants when I’m out of town.”
“You’re not even back home yet and already you’re going out of town?” He asked with a slight smirk.
She shrugged. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet. The UN offered me a job, as did the SGC and the IOA. Even the president says he’s got a position for me if I’m interested.”
“But?”
“But I’m not sure if I want another highly stressful job. Leading this expedition was the best and most amazing thing that could ever happen to me, but I’m not sure if I want anything on the same stress level so soon.”
“Not sure if anything else would ever reach the same stress level.”
“True, but still. I can assure you that trying to negotiate between two warring tribes can be extremely stressful too.”
“Don’t doubt that. I still clearly remember the talks between the Falnori and the Nistra.”
“Not something I’ll easily forget.”
He nodded because he would never forget that time either. It was the only time he’d been on the verge of resigning his commission since he’d been on Atlantis.
“I’m actually thinking of teaching Political History at Georgetown.”
John raised an eyebrow. “Political History?”
She nodded.
“Sounds really boring.”
Elizabeth laughed. “It is, but someone has to do it.”
“You’ll be bored to death within days.”
She laughed again. “Maybe, but I still want to try it. Some calm after the storm.”
Grinning, he put the auto-vase as he had called it, in one of the boxes. “They also say there’s always a storm after the calm.”
“I’m going to try avoiding that storm. And why are you putting that vase in that box?”
“Well, since you’re teaching at Georgetown, your mother won’t be watering your plants, so you can take it with you.”
“I haven’t decided on Georgetown yet.”
He looked at her for a few moments. “Yes you have.”
He knew her too well.
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