x. in the end
all_unwritten
prompt: in the end.
a/n: I joined the comm because my muse needed a kick in the rear. Which she got. Except that now she says that this is not finished.
Therefore, not!Sparky, which is part one of sparky? yes, muse is whacked, thanks so much for asking.
unbetaed, and written in about 15 minutes.
le muse says this is part one of something bigger.
In the end, it turned out that finding Elizabeth was almost ridiculously easy. A few well placed feelers with their allies off-world to keep tabs of the unfolding replicator situation and a tip on the dying breaths of yet another replicator made human and they had a gate address. Bethea was yet another Elizabeth clone of sorts, who'd risked everything to get to Atlantis and explain to them what she'd figured out. She'd paid the price, dying slowly as her replicator cells broke down because of a new fail-safe that had been implemented after what happened with the last clones. And yet Bethea had fought as long as she could, struggling for breath even as she explained as many details as she could to the command staff gathered around her bed in the infirmary. She'd discovered the world as she knew it was just one big simulation on how to ascend, John had never been taken captive by the replicators months ago, nor was he presumed dead, and she choked back a startled gasp when Colonel Carter informed her that Sheppard and his team were on their way in.
John had been off-world when the call came through to get back as soon as possible. He made it back in time to spend the last hour with Bethea in the infirmary, holding her hand as they talked in hushed tones and he reminded himself that it wasn't Elizabeth. Didn't make it hurt any less though..
In the end, it got rough, shuddering coughs racked her body; she'd always been thin and she shook with the effort needed for each breath. Her voice was already starting to fade away when she tugged his hand, whispering his name.
"John."
She tugged again waiting for him to look her in the eye, and when he did, she silently said all the things they both knew she'd never put to words out of respect for both of them. 'I missed you. I love you. So does she, and she needs you.'
Bethea glanced away, coughing violently, her eyes losing their focus and fluttering shut. John closed his eyes for a moment, expecting the monitors that had been quietly punctuating the time to flatline at any second. Her voice startled him and he looked at her, eyes miserable and shining with tears he wouldn't let fall.
"John, find her..."
She trailed off again, fighting for another breath to say more.
"M4X-553... something there.."
He leaned over her, taking note of her shallow breaths and resting his free hand on her cheek.
"Shh, rest now. Thank you."
Her eyes were drooping when he closed the last few inches to place a chaste kiss on her lips, and he felt her respond just the tiniest bit, her fingers twitching in their hold on his before she softly exhaled against his face and the line on the monitor went flat, sending an alarm running through the previously quiet room.
He ran his hand down her cheek one last time.
"Goodbye."
http://community.livejournal.com/all_unwritten/36831.html?thread=802271#t802271
prompt: in the end.
a/n: I joined the comm because my muse needed a kick in the rear. Which she got. Except that now she says that this is not finished.
Therefore, not!Sparky, which is part one of sparky? yes, muse is whacked, thanks so much for asking.
unbetaed, and written in about 15 minutes.
le muse says this is part one of something bigger.
In the end, it turned out that finding Elizabeth was almost ridiculously easy. A few well placed feelers with their allies off-world to keep tabs of the unfolding replicator situation and a tip on the dying breaths of yet another replicator made human and they had a gate address. Bethea was yet another Elizabeth clone of sorts, who'd risked everything to get to Atlantis and explain to them what she'd figured out. She'd paid the price, dying slowly as her replicator cells broke down because of a new fail-safe that had been implemented after what happened with the last clones. And yet Bethea had fought as long as she could, struggling for breath even as she explained as many details as she could to the command staff gathered around her bed in the infirmary. She'd discovered the world as she knew it was just one big simulation on how to ascend, John had never been taken captive by the replicators months ago, nor was he presumed dead, and she choked back a startled gasp when Colonel Carter informed her that Sheppard and his team were on their way in.
John had been off-world when the call came through to get back as soon as possible. He made it back in time to spend the last hour with Bethea in the infirmary, holding her hand as they talked in hushed tones and he reminded himself that it wasn't Elizabeth. Didn't make it hurt any less though..
In the end, it got rough, shuddering coughs racked her body; she'd always been thin and she shook with the effort needed for each breath. Her voice was already starting to fade away when she tugged his hand, whispering his name.
"John."
She tugged again waiting for him to look her in the eye, and when he did, she silently said all the things they both knew she'd never put to words out of respect for both of them. 'I missed you. I love you. So does she, and she needs you.'
Bethea glanced away, coughing violently, her eyes losing their focus and fluttering shut. John closed his eyes for a moment, expecting the monitors that had been quietly punctuating the time to flatline at any second. Her voice startled him and he looked at her, eyes miserable and shining with tears he wouldn't let fall.
"John, find her..."
She trailed off again, fighting for another breath to say more.
"M4X-553... something there.."
He leaned over her, taking note of her shallow breaths and resting his free hand on her cheek.
"Shh, rest now. Thank you."
Her eyes were drooping when he closed the last few inches to place a chaste kiss on her lips, and he felt her respond just the tiniest bit, her fingers twitching in their hold on his before she softly exhaled against his face and the line on the monitor went flat, sending an alarm running through the previously quiet room.
He ran his hand down her cheek one last time.
"Goodbye."
http://community.livejournal.com/all_unwritten/36831.html?thread=802271#t802271