New Fic: Atlantis's First Thanksgiving...
Title: Atlantis's First Thanksgiving, or Why We Learned to Stop Worrying and Believe in the Expedition's Betting Pool
Pairing: John/Elizabeth (well, duh!) with some background Carson/Teyla and Grodin/Heightmeyer
Rating: PG-13 for a little bit of cussing and a little bit of snogging
Spoilers: Season One, more or less (see Author's Notes and Timeline Notes for more)
Summary: "Maybe we need to stop worrying about things we can't change and start focusing on the things we can."
Author's Notes: Written for oparu for the 2010 sparky_santa fic exchange. Opal's request was: "Atlantis cut off from Earth, season 1 adorableness, babyfic. I like Atlantis to be a community of its own. Any variations of Laura Roslin's "let's have babies" would be absolutely wonderful. Or smut. More cute than angsty, please." All of which immediately pinged an AU idea that I'd been kicking around in the back of my mind for the past couple of years, about how I might have done Atlantis differently if I'd had charge of the show from Day One. At the time I first came up with the idea, I didn't get very far in plotting out how things might have gone, and other fic ideas pulled my attention elsewhere. So this little ficlet gets the bunnies off my back and gives all of you a glimpse into an Atlantis that might have been.
Many thanks to my beta reader, southernred2, for being there in a pinch to fix my grammatical bloopers! *hugs*
Timeline Notes: For the purposes of this story, the timeline of events in this AU begins to diverge from canon following "Underground." Aside from the close encounters in "Rising" and "Underground," the Wraith remain more of a shadowy, distant menace that is moving slowly and still gathering their full strength. They are as yet unaware that Atlantis itself is now inhabited again, so the events of "The Siege" trilogy have not happened yet (and in my idea for the AU, "The Siege" and the reconnection with Earth wouldn't even happen until the end of Season Three). Many of the episodes leading up to "The Siege" either have not happened or happened quite differently than canon. Meanwhile, the Genii have moved to the forefront as Atlantis's primary adversary, with "The Storm"/"The Eye" happening several months later than in canon and marking the end of the expedition's first year in the Pegasus Galaxy. This story begins shortly afterward.
***
Major John Sheppard let the laughter and music of the feast at the Athosian camp fade into the background as he walked down the torch-lit path to the beach. The celebration was well-deserved after all they had been through lately, and he hadn't wanted to spoil everyone else's fun with the pensive mood that had been riding him for the past couple of weeks. Hell, it had been longer, truth be told, but what happened two weeks ago had shifted everything into a hyper clarity that he could no longer deny. Hence, his little detour away from the main party.
Although Atlantis wasn't visible from the Lantean mainland, he knew from previous visits that on the night of a new moon, one could make out a faint, hazy glow to the southwest, cast by the city's lights. It would no doubt be even brighter if they'd had the power of even one ZPM to turn on the city's lights to their full brilliance. Of course, they still didn't have any ZPMs-if they had, they would've been able to open a wormhole back to the Milky Way. Back to Earth. He shook off the thought.
However, tonight the moon was full, and as he stepped off the path onto the sandy beach, he could clearly see in its light what he'd left the feast to search for. Or rather, whom.
Sitting on a massive piece of driftwood straddling the tidal line was Elizabeth Weir. Her shoes were off, toes dug into the wet sand, and her arms were at her sides, holding her up as she tilted back to look at Lantea's moon. Unbidden, a smile came to John’s lips. It was a rare sight to see her so relaxed, and he was glad he had the privilege to do so now, especially after recent events.
He could have stood there, just watching, for hours, but he figured his purpose would be better served to simply announce his presence. A little self-consciously, he cleared his throat. She jolted, just a little. Anyone else probably wouldn't have even noticed, but he did. She turned to look behind her, and relaxed when she saw him.
"Hi." He grinned and held up a pottery jug. In his other hand, he juggled two mugs. "I just thought I'd, you know, return the favor."
She cocked a quizzical eyebrow at him. "Favor?"
"You brought me a drink when we had our 'Welcome to Atlantis' party. So, here I am, bringing you a drink on Atlantis's first Thanksgiving."
A surprised laugh bubbled up. "'Atlantis's first Thanksgiving,' hmm?" She cocked her head, a sudden flash of sentiment that seemed at once both whimsical and poignant in her eyes. "I suppose you may be right about that," she finished quietly.
"Hmm," he hummed as he walked around the end of the weather-and-wave beaten log and sat down next to her. He handed her a mug, and filled it to the brim before filling his own and setting the jug carefully to the side. She raised her mug, and he tapped his against it. "Cheers," he said softly, his eyes never leaving hers. A slight smile played at her lips, as they both took a sip.
Her lips puckered for just a moment and she sucked in a breath through her nose. When she had swallowed, it took her a moment to speak. "What is that?"
"Ruus wine. Halling tells me they ferment the stuff from a fruit that grows wild on a number of worlds throughout Pegasus, and the Athosians found several groves of the trees scattered in the vicinity of the camp. I guess the Ancients must've liked them, too."
Elizabeth took another sip, rolling it on her tongue before swallowing. "It's a little sweet, almost like apricot… got a kick, too." They both grinned at that. "Reminds me a little of ice wine." He chuckled.
"The Athosian camp looks good," he remarked casually.
"Yes, it does," she agreed, choosing not to call him on his non sequitur just yet. "Teyla and Halling are ecstatic that we were able to rebuild the camp so quickly after the storm. Your idea to stow the tents and the bulkier items that wouldn't travel easily under that ledge along the north ridge was brilliant. Everything came through intact."
"I'm just glad it worked."
For a while, they simply sat in companionable silence, sipping at their wine and watching the gentle waves lap against the sand, reflecting the silvery light of Lantea's moon, so similar, yet so different, from the one they'd been born under a galaxy away.
As she sat there, Elizabeth couldn't help but compare her situation now with the roller coaster that she'd been through ever since she'd stepped through the Stargate into Atlantis. She and John had been locked in a cold war of sorts after the nanovirus incident a few months ago, a chill that had only thawed when he'd made the peace offering of a surprise gift for her birthday. Since then, they had tentatively begun to rebuild a fragile trust between them, a trust that was tested in fire when a Genii strike team led by Acastus Kolya had invaded Atlantis in a rare moment of vulnerability, only two weeks earlier.
Elizabeth could barely repress a shudder at the memory of Kolya's cold, black eyes raking over her, gauging her worth as a hostage…and, no doubt, her worth In other matters. She'd been in a number of sticky situations during her career as a diplomat on Earth, but the mental echo of Kolya's arm wrapped around her waist, gun pointed at her side, still made her skin crawl like nothing else.
Normally, she wasn't given to girlish conceits of heroic rescues, but John Sheppard had been her knight that day, leading the charge to rescue her and Rodney McKay before Kolya and the remnants of his strike team could drag the pair through the Stargate to the Genii homeworld and a fate that was certain in its uncertainty. Then there was the look that John had given her after he'd rescued her, a look that had made her stomach flutter and made her wonder.
Looking at John now, she wondered if he was just as uncertain as she felt. She took another sip of wine, letting the warmth it gave wash through her body down to her toes.
"Why the long face?"
"Hmm? Oh, I…" Elizabeth found herself grasping for words. In her line of work before learning there was such a thing as a Stargate, she'd made sure such an occurrence was a rare event, but it still happened. Especially with John Sheppard looking at her with that look again, the look that said, 'You can tell me anything. You can trust me with your life.' She sighed.
"It's been a year, John. We've been in Atlantis for an entire year. We haven't heard anything from Earth. Sure, it's possible they haven't found another ZPM to replace the one we used to reach Atlantis, we knew they would be difficult to find, but…" She blew out a frustrated breath and plunged forward, giving voice to all the doubts that she'd kept locked up inside her head. "Everyone knows that Stargate Command was building more ships like the Prometheus. The first was scheduled to be finished four months ago. Even the most cautious estimates said that it would take about three weeks or so to reach Pegasus from the Milky Way. And after we sent our databurst to Earth, they would've known we're still here and in a lot deeper trouble than any of us expected. Surely they'd be working double time to get to us. So where are they?"
John clenched his jaw. Probably the only thing more terrifying to him than seeing Elizabeth in danger was seeing Elizabeth scared. He hadn't liked seeing her like that when Kolya had had a gun pointed at her, and he didn't like it now. She was normally so calm, even under fire, it made him want to- He shook off the thought, but she looked over at the movement.
"What is it?"
He sighed. "That's the thing, isn't it? We have no way to know what's happening on Earth. Hey, I haven't known about the Stargate as long as the rest of you, but I paid attention to the reports about the Goa'uld. We all know what they're trying to do back in the Milky Way. We all knew that there would be a risk that even if we succeeded in our mission here and found a way to get back to Earth, there might not be an Earth to come back to. So maybe we need to stop worrying about things we can't change and start focusing on the things we can."
"What exactly did you have in mind?"
"Start making babies, I guess."
She nearly choked on a sip of wine, and he jerked up, chuckling and vigorously thumping her back while she coughed and spluttered. Finally she leaned back, giving him a teary-eyed glare. "Babies?"
He looked her straight in the eye, all mirth gone. "Elizabeth," he began quietly, "If the worst really has happened, and Earth is gone, whether it's the Goa'uld or some other reason, then we're here for good."
***
"Hey, has anyone seen Sheppard?" Rodney McKay asked as he approached the group of Atlantis personnel seated around the fire.
"No," Peter Grodin replied, and frowned a little, "for that matter, I haven't seen Doctor Weir recently, either."
Teyla Emmagan looked up from where she'd been talking to Carson Beckett. "Major Sheppard said he wanted to speak to Doctor Weir a little while ago," Teyla explained. "I am certain they are both well." She then rose from the log she'd been sitting on and started toward the group that was teaching several expedition members a traditional dance. She turned back and held out a hand. "Carson, would you care to dance?"
Carson looked up, blinking in surprise. "Me?" He looked around quickly, but all he found were his friends grinning wickedly. He took Teyla's hand and let her pull him to his feet. "I've got to warn you, lass, I've got two left feet."
"Oh, I think you will manage very well," Teyla smiled, and pulled him off in the direction of the dancers.
"Well, I guess Carson doesn't need to worry any more about getting out more," Rodney muttered, while Peter snickered.
***
"Babies," Elizabeth repeated. "Shit." He grinned wickedly in surprise at the rare profanity as she continued, "You may get your wish sooner than you think. Remember how Carson was so concerned about the medical supplies the Genii took?"
"Yeah…" he responded dubiously, not certain where this was going.
"Well, what we initially thought were painkillers and antibiotics… turns out what the Genii really took was the birth control pills."
He felt his jaw drop open. "You're kidding!"
"Nope."
John threw his head back and howled with laughter. "Oh my God, that's priceless! What I wouldn't give to see Cowen's and Kolya's faces when they figure that out!"
Elizabeth snorted, then burst out laughing as well. "Yeah, that is kinda poetic, isn't it?"
John snickered. "So, I feel weird asking, but… when does Carson think the effects are going to start wearing off?"
"Anywhere from a few months to a year, give or take. Some of it depends on how long each individual may have been taking it before we even left Earth."
"So in about six months or so…"
"Yeah." She straightened up and looked over at him sharply. "Why? Is there something you need to tell me?"
"What?" His head shot up in surprise. "No! No. Noooo, not me. But I have noticed a few couples… circling each other."
"Ah." So many layers hidden in that one syllable. "I was just wondering, since you were so concerned about being near that EMP a few months ago."
He looked at her, and relaxed at the sight of the amused twinkle in her eyes. If she had gotten to the point where she could now tease him about the nanovirus outbreak, then they were good.
"Ah," he replied with a grin.
***
At the main Athosian camp, the feasting and dancing were still very much in full swing, and from the looks of things, would probably be so until dawn. The second shift from Atlantis had arrived, allowing more of the expedition members to rotate in and out of the party so that everyone would have a chance to visit and join in the celebration.
"Seriously, where the hell are Sheppard and Weir?" Rodney groused as he hungrily tore into another of those delightful skewers of roasted game bird and spiced root vegetables that seemed not unlike a sweet potato.
Aiden Ford rolled his eyes. "What's so important that you have to talk to them now, McKay?"
"Well, it's… hey, it's dark out, they could get lost or something!"
From the other side of the bonfire they'd staked out, Radek Zelenka laughed. "Honestly, Rodney, I think it is you who needs to get out more."
Rodney stopped chewing for a second. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like." Chuck Campbell raised a mug and drank deeply.
"Oh my God! You set them up?"
"Don't act so surprised, McKay!" Aiden chortled. "Haven't you ever noticed how they're always… you know…"
"Mirroring each other?" Peter grinned.
"Of course I have!" Rodney retorted. "I just… what about all the alien chicks? Like little miss 'I'm a cute alien priestess who's not going to tell you that I'm really an Ancient!'"
"Ahh, but you'll notice that happened right after the nanovirus incident," Radek explained.
Aiden took another sip from his mug and nodded vigorously. "He was running. Totally running scared 'cause he pissed off the girl he really liked."
"Drove the city's betting pool batshit insane," Chuck interjected.
"And then that pot shows up on her desk right before we found, well, the other Doctor Weir," Peter began.
"A pot that, according to Teyla, was a 'special gift,'" Aiden emphasized his words with air quotes.
"And it was right after that happened, that she let him start dragging her off to lunch when she worked too late," Chuck added.
Rodney snorted. "Okay, I get your point. Took 'em long enough, anyway."
"As did that," Chuck nodded to Teyla and Carson, who had joined a large circle of dancers, led by Charin and some of the other elders, around the largest of the bonfires.
"Well, I don't know about you gentlemen," Peter said, standing up, "but I think I'd like to dance, too." He squared his shoulders and headed over to a group of several women from Athos and Atlantis. As the rest of the men watched, he made a little bow to the women and said something. Kate Heightmeyer blushed, laughed, and took his hand as he led her to the dancing circle while the other women laughed and clapped.
Aiden laughed and raised his mug to Peter and Kate. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"
***
"You'd be a wonderful father, you know."
John chuckled. "You think so, huh?"
"Yeah, I do. You're great with kids, wherever you go."
"What about you?"
Elizabeth blinked. "What about me? Kids?"
"Yeah. Don't think I don't know how you were off picking flowers with all the Athosian girls earlier." He grinned and nodded at her head, adorned with a wreath of flowers. "Still wearing the wreath they made for you, too."
She smiled. "That was fun. I don't get much of an opportunity to just be a girl."
"'Cause Rodney and I keep driving you up the wall with our antics?"
She snorted. "Wellll…" She drew the word out, and grinned at his expression. "Maybe just a little. I simply have to remember to think of the two of you as little boys, and it all works out."
"You wound me, fair lady." With his free hand, he mimed a strike to the heart, and they both laughed.
"Still," Elizabeth mused, "I haven't really thought about it much. I mean, my career kept me so busy, traveling all over the world, trying to put out political hotspots… I knew I didn't have the time. And now," she shrugged and looked away, biting her lip and setting aside the memory of that final goodbye message to Simon that had been sent with the databurst, "well, I'm no spring chicken."
"I-I don't mind that."
"You-" A short sound that sounded hysterical to her ears burst out, and she looked at him. Really looked. "You're serious. You-" She shook her head. "Why me? I'm a workaholic, we've got totally opposing political views, I'd probably collapse if I tried even a tenth of your physical training, you can't stand Enya, I'm a terrible cook, I-" Her voice stuttered to a halt as he reached out to brush one lock of hair behind her ear.
"Sure, we've butted heads over how to run the city, you scare the shit out of me sometimes because you won't carry a gun when you go wading into tribal feuds and stuff, and I practically have to drag you to the mess hall to make sure you take a lunch break, but… you're also the bravest, smartest, funniest, and most beautiful woman I've ever known. And you're my best friend. What more could anyone ask for?"
"John…"
"Just a date," he said quickly, and it was all she could do not to melt at the bashful little boy look on his face. "Gotta do this right."
"And here I thought this was the date," she teased lightly. "A moonlit beach, a jug of wine… all we need is a loaf of bread."
"Well, there is some back at the camp," he suggested, "though, I don't know if I want to leave just yet. It is really nice out here."
"Yes, it is. To be honest, I'm not sure if I want to leave just yet, either."
He raised his eyebrows, and a gentle smile curved her lips. They looked at each other for a long moment, wondering if they should wait, wondering if they should just go for it. Finally, John huffed. "Carpe diem," he murmured, as he leaned in and kissed her.
Faster than they realized, hands were tangled in hair, laughs were exchanged as they kept bumping noses, lips parted, tongues danced, breath was stolen and returned. It was that last issue that prompted them to pull back for a moment.
Having gotten his breath back, John gazed at Elizabeth, wondering to himself just how he'd managed to get so lucky.
She chuckled. "What?"
"You're okay with this? I mean, I know this is sudden, but-"
"John, if there is one thing I've come to expect from you, it's to expect the unexpected. After all," she said cheekily, "You did warn me that you could get us into all sorts of trouble."
He grinned. "So, what kind of trouble would you like first, Doc? Dinner and a movie?"
"You've got yourself a deal, Major."
***
Back at the edge of the path leading up to the Athosian camp, a small group of friends watched as the two people they'd come to love and trust as leaders and friends finally took the first step into the new world they would all forge together. For that night at least, all was well with the universe, and nothing, not the Genii, not the specter of the Wraith, not doubts about those left behind in another galaxy, not even the divisions between them, would chase them from the path of that destiny.
Fin.
Pairing: John/Elizabeth (well, duh!) with some background Carson/Teyla and Grodin/Heightmeyer
Rating: PG-13 for a little bit of cussing and a little bit of snogging
Spoilers: Season One, more or less (see Author's Notes and Timeline Notes for more)
Summary: "Maybe we need to stop worrying about things we can't change and start focusing on the things we can."
Author's Notes: Written for oparu for the 2010 sparky_santa fic exchange. Opal's request was: "Atlantis cut off from Earth, season 1 adorableness, babyfic. I like Atlantis to be a community of its own. Any variations of Laura Roslin's "let's have babies" would be absolutely wonderful. Or smut. More cute than angsty, please." All of which immediately pinged an AU idea that I'd been kicking around in the back of my mind for the past couple of years, about how I might have done Atlantis differently if I'd had charge of the show from Day One. At the time I first came up with the idea, I didn't get very far in plotting out how things might have gone, and other fic ideas pulled my attention elsewhere. So this little ficlet gets the bunnies off my back and gives all of you a glimpse into an Atlantis that might have been.
Many thanks to my beta reader, southernred2, for being there in a pinch to fix my grammatical bloopers! *hugs*
Timeline Notes: For the purposes of this story, the timeline of events in this AU begins to diverge from canon following "Underground." Aside from the close encounters in "Rising" and "Underground," the Wraith remain more of a shadowy, distant menace that is moving slowly and still gathering their full strength. They are as yet unaware that Atlantis itself is now inhabited again, so the events of "The Siege" trilogy have not happened yet (and in my idea for the AU, "The Siege" and the reconnection with Earth wouldn't even happen until the end of Season Three). Many of the episodes leading up to "The Siege" either have not happened or happened quite differently than canon. Meanwhile, the Genii have moved to the forefront as Atlantis's primary adversary, with "The Storm"/"The Eye" happening several months later than in canon and marking the end of the expedition's first year in the Pegasus Galaxy. This story begins shortly afterward.
***
Major John Sheppard let the laughter and music of the feast at the Athosian camp fade into the background as he walked down the torch-lit path to the beach. The celebration was well-deserved after all they had been through lately, and he hadn't wanted to spoil everyone else's fun with the pensive mood that had been riding him for the past couple of weeks. Hell, it had been longer, truth be told, but what happened two weeks ago had shifted everything into a hyper clarity that he could no longer deny. Hence, his little detour away from the main party.
Although Atlantis wasn't visible from the Lantean mainland, he knew from previous visits that on the night of a new moon, one could make out a faint, hazy glow to the southwest, cast by the city's lights. It would no doubt be even brighter if they'd had the power of even one ZPM to turn on the city's lights to their full brilliance. Of course, they still didn't have any ZPMs-if they had, they would've been able to open a wormhole back to the Milky Way. Back to Earth. He shook off the thought.
However, tonight the moon was full, and as he stepped off the path onto the sandy beach, he could clearly see in its light what he'd left the feast to search for. Or rather, whom.
Sitting on a massive piece of driftwood straddling the tidal line was Elizabeth Weir. Her shoes were off, toes dug into the wet sand, and her arms were at her sides, holding her up as she tilted back to look at Lantea's moon. Unbidden, a smile came to John’s lips. It was a rare sight to see her so relaxed, and he was glad he had the privilege to do so now, especially after recent events.
He could have stood there, just watching, for hours, but he figured his purpose would be better served to simply announce his presence. A little self-consciously, he cleared his throat. She jolted, just a little. Anyone else probably wouldn't have even noticed, but he did. She turned to look behind her, and relaxed when she saw him.
"Hi." He grinned and held up a pottery jug. In his other hand, he juggled two mugs. "I just thought I'd, you know, return the favor."
She cocked a quizzical eyebrow at him. "Favor?"
"You brought me a drink when we had our 'Welcome to Atlantis' party. So, here I am, bringing you a drink on Atlantis's first Thanksgiving."
A surprised laugh bubbled up. "'Atlantis's first Thanksgiving,' hmm?" She cocked her head, a sudden flash of sentiment that seemed at once both whimsical and poignant in her eyes. "I suppose you may be right about that," she finished quietly.
"Hmm," he hummed as he walked around the end of the weather-and-wave beaten log and sat down next to her. He handed her a mug, and filled it to the brim before filling his own and setting the jug carefully to the side. She raised her mug, and he tapped his against it. "Cheers," he said softly, his eyes never leaving hers. A slight smile played at her lips, as they both took a sip.
Her lips puckered for just a moment and she sucked in a breath through her nose. When she had swallowed, it took her a moment to speak. "What is that?"
"Ruus wine. Halling tells me they ferment the stuff from a fruit that grows wild on a number of worlds throughout Pegasus, and the Athosians found several groves of the trees scattered in the vicinity of the camp. I guess the Ancients must've liked them, too."
Elizabeth took another sip, rolling it on her tongue before swallowing. "It's a little sweet, almost like apricot… got a kick, too." They both grinned at that. "Reminds me a little of ice wine." He chuckled.
"The Athosian camp looks good," he remarked casually.
"Yes, it does," she agreed, choosing not to call him on his non sequitur just yet. "Teyla and Halling are ecstatic that we were able to rebuild the camp so quickly after the storm. Your idea to stow the tents and the bulkier items that wouldn't travel easily under that ledge along the north ridge was brilliant. Everything came through intact."
"I'm just glad it worked."
For a while, they simply sat in companionable silence, sipping at their wine and watching the gentle waves lap against the sand, reflecting the silvery light of Lantea's moon, so similar, yet so different, from the one they'd been born under a galaxy away.
As she sat there, Elizabeth couldn't help but compare her situation now with the roller coaster that she'd been through ever since she'd stepped through the Stargate into Atlantis. She and John had been locked in a cold war of sorts after the nanovirus incident a few months ago, a chill that had only thawed when he'd made the peace offering of a surprise gift for her birthday. Since then, they had tentatively begun to rebuild a fragile trust between them, a trust that was tested in fire when a Genii strike team led by Acastus Kolya had invaded Atlantis in a rare moment of vulnerability, only two weeks earlier.
Elizabeth could barely repress a shudder at the memory of Kolya's cold, black eyes raking over her, gauging her worth as a hostage…and, no doubt, her worth In other matters. She'd been in a number of sticky situations during her career as a diplomat on Earth, but the mental echo of Kolya's arm wrapped around her waist, gun pointed at her side, still made her skin crawl like nothing else.
Normally, she wasn't given to girlish conceits of heroic rescues, but John Sheppard had been her knight that day, leading the charge to rescue her and Rodney McKay before Kolya and the remnants of his strike team could drag the pair through the Stargate to the Genii homeworld and a fate that was certain in its uncertainty. Then there was the look that John had given her after he'd rescued her, a look that had made her stomach flutter and made her wonder.
Looking at John now, she wondered if he was just as uncertain as she felt. She took another sip of wine, letting the warmth it gave wash through her body down to her toes.
"Why the long face?"
"Hmm? Oh, I…" Elizabeth found herself grasping for words. In her line of work before learning there was such a thing as a Stargate, she'd made sure such an occurrence was a rare event, but it still happened. Especially with John Sheppard looking at her with that look again, the look that said, 'You can tell me anything. You can trust me with your life.' She sighed.
"It's been a year, John. We've been in Atlantis for an entire year. We haven't heard anything from Earth. Sure, it's possible they haven't found another ZPM to replace the one we used to reach Atlantis, we knew they would be difficult to find, but…" She blew out a frustrated breath and plunged forward, giving voice to all the doubts that she'd kept locked up inside her head. "Everyone knows that Stargate Command was building more ships like the Prometheus. The first was scheduled to be finished four months ago. Even the most cautious estimates said that it would take about three weeks or so to reach Pegasus from the Milky Way. And after we sent our databurst to Earth, they would've known we're still here and in a lot deeper trouble than any of us expected. Surely they'd be working double time to get to us. So where are they?"
John clenched his jaw. Probably the only thing more terrifying to him than seeing Elizabeth in danger was seeing Elizabeth scared. He hadn't liked seeing her like that when Kolya had had a gun pointed at her, and he didn't like it now. She was normally so calm, even under fire, it made him want to- He shook off the thought, but she looked over at the movement.
"What is it?"
He sighed. "That's the thing, isn't it? We have no way to know what's happening on Earth. Hey, I haven't known about the Stargate as long as the rest of you, but I paid attention to the reports about the Goa'uld. We all know what they're trying to do back in the Milky Way. We all knew that there would be a risk that even if we succeeded in our mission here and found a way to get back to Earth, there might not be an Earth to come back to. So maybe we need to stop worrying about things we can't change and start focusing on the things we can."
"What exactly did you have in mind?"
"Start making babies, I guess."
She nearly choked on a sip of wine, and he jerked up, chuckling and vigorously thumping her back while she coughed and spluttered. Finally she leaned back, giving him a teary-eyed glare. "Babies?"
He looked her straight in the eye, all mirth gone. "Elizabeth," he began quietly, "If the worst really has happened, and Earth is gone, whether it's the Goa'uld or some other reason, then we're here for good."
***
"Hey, has anyone seen Sheppard?" Rodney McKay asked as he approached the group of Atlantis personnel seated around the fire.
"No," Peter Grodin replied, and frowned a little, "for that matter, I haven't seen Doctor Weir recently, either."
Teyla Emmagan looked up from where she'd been talking to Carson Beckett. "Major Sheppard said he wanted to speak to Doctor Weir a little while ago," Teyla explained. "I am certain they are both well." She then rose from the log she'd been sitting on and started toward the group that was teaching several expedition members a traditional dance. She turned back and held out a hand. "Carson, would you care to dance?"
Carson looked up, blinking in surprise. "Me?" He looked around quickly, but all he found were his friends grinning wickedly. He took Teyla's hand and let her pull him to his feet. "I've got to warn you, lass, I've got two left feet."
"Oh, I think you will manage very well," Teyla smiled, and pulled him off in the direction of the dancers.
"Well, I guess Carson doesn't need to worry any more about getting out more," Rodney muttered, while Peter snickered.
***
"Babies," Elizabeth repeated. "Shit." He grinned wickedly in surprise at the rare profanity as she continued, "You may get your wish sooner than you think. Remember how Carson was so concerned about the medical supplies the Genii took?"
"Yeah…" he responded dubiously, not certain where this was going.
"Well, what we initially thought were painkillers and antibiotics… turns out what the Genii really took was the birth control pills."
He felt his jaw drop open. "You're kidding!"
"Nope."
John threw his head back and howled with laughter. "Oh my God, that's priceless! What I wouldn't give to see Cowen's and Kolya's faces when they figure that out!"
Elizabeth snorted, then burst out laughing as well. "Yeah, that is kinda poetic, isn't it?"
John snickered. "So, I feel weird asking, but… when does Carson think the effects are going to start wearing off?"
"Anywhere from a few months to a year, give or take. Some of it depends on how long each individual may have been taking it before we even left Earth."
"So in about six months or so…"
"Yeah." She straightened up and looked over at him sharply. "Why? Is there something you need to tell me?"
"What?" His head shot up in surprise. "No! No. Noooo, not me. But I have noticed a few couples… circling each other."
"Ah." So many layers hidden in that one syllable. "I was just wondering, since you were so concerned about being near that EMP a few months ago."
He looked at her, and relaxed at the sight of the amused twinkle in her eyes. If she had gotten to the point where she could now tease him about the nanovirus outbreak, then they were good.
"Ah," he replied with a grin.
***
At the main Athosian camp, the feasting and dancing were still very much in full swing, and from the looks of things, would probably be so until dawn. The second shift from Atlantis had arrived, allowing more of the expedition members to rotate in and out of the party so that everyone would have a chance to visit and join in the celebration.
"Seriously, where the hell are Sheppard and Weir?" Rodney groused as he hungrily tore into another of those delightful skewers of roasted game bird and spiced root vegetables that seemed not unlike a sweet potato.
Aiden Ford rolled his eyes. "What's so important that you have to talk to them now, McKay?"
"Well, it's… hey, it's dark out, they could get lost or something!"
From the other side of the bonfire they'd staked out, Radek Zelenka laughed. "Honestly, Rodney, I think it is you who needs to get out more."
Rodney stopped chewing for a second. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like." Chuck Campbell raised a mug and drank deeply.
"Oh my God! You set them up?"
"Don't act so surprised, McKay!" Aiden chortled. "Haven't you ever noticed how they're always… you know…"
"Mirroring each other?" Peter grinned.
"Of course I have!" Rodney retorted. "I just… what about all the alien chicks? Like little miss 'I'm a cute alien priestess who's not going to tell you that I'm really an Ancient!'"
"Ahh, but you'll notice that happened right after the nanovirus incident," Radek explained.
Aiden took another sip from his mug and nodded vigorously. "He was running. Totally running scared 'cause he pissed off the girl he really liked."
"Drove the city's betting pool batshit insane," Chuck interjected.
"And then that pot shows up on her desk right before we found, well, the other Doctor Weir," Peter began.
"A pot that, according to Teyla, was a 'special gift,'" Aiden emphasized his words with air quotes.
"And it was right after that happened, that she let him start dragging her off to lunch when she worked too late," Chuck added.
Rodney snorted. "Okay, I get your point. Took 'em long enough, anyway."
"As did that," Chuck nodded to Teyla and Carson, who had joined a large circle of dancers, led by Charin and some of the other elders, around the largest of the bonfires.
"Well, I don't know about you gentlemen," Peter said, standing up, "but I think I'd like to dance, too." He squared his shoulders and headed over to a group of several women from Athos and Atlantis. As the rest of the men watched, he made a little bow to the women and said something. Kate Heightmeyer blushed, laughed, and took his hand as he led her to the dancing circle while the other women laughed and clapped.
Aiden laughed and raised his mug to Peter and Kate. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"
***
"You'd be a wonderful father, you know."
John chuckled. "You think so, huh?"
"Yeah, I do. You're great with kids, wherever you go."
"What about you?"
Elizabeth blinked. "What about me? Kids?"
"Yeah. Don't think I don't know how you were off picking flowers with all the Athosian girls earlier." He grinned and nodded at her head, adorned with a wreath of flowers. "Still wearing the wreath they made for you, too."
She smiled. "That was fun. I don't get much of an opportunity to just be a girl."
"'Cause Rodney and I keep driving you up the wall with our antics?"
She snorted. "Wellll…" She drew the word out, and grinned at his expression. "Maybe just a little. I simply have to remember to think of the two of you as little boys, and it all works out."
"You wound me, fair lady." With his free hand, he mimed a strike to the heart, and they both laughed.
"Still," Elizabeth mused, "I haven't really thought about it much. I mean, my career kept me so busy, traveling all over the world, trying to put out political hotspots… I knew I didn't have the time. And now," she shrugged and looked away, biting her lip and setting aside the memory of that final goodbye message to Simon that had been sent with the databurst, "well, I'm no spring chicken."
"I-I don't mind that."
"You-" A short sound that sounded hysterical to her ears burst out, and she looked at him. Really looked. "You're serious. You-" She shook her head. "Why me? I'm a workaholic, we've got totally opposing political views, I'd probably collapse if I tried even a tenth of your physical training, you can't stand Enya, I'm a terrible cook, I-" Her voice stuttered to a halt as he reached out to brush one lock of hair behind her ear.
"Sure, we've butted heads over how to run the city, you scare the shit out of me sometimes because you won't carry a gun when you go wading into tribal feuds and stuff, and I practically have to drag you to the mess hall to make sure you take a lunch break, but… you're also the bravest, smartest, funniest, and most beautiful woman I've ever known. And you're my best friend. What more could anyone ask for?"
"John…"
"Just a date," he said quickly, and it was all she could do not to melt at the bashful little boy look on his face. "Gotta do this right."
"And here I thought this was the date," she teased lightly. "A moonlit beach, a jug of wine… all we need is a loaf of bread."
"Well, there is some back at the camp," he suggested, "though, I don't know if I want to leave just yet. It is really nice out here."
"Yes, it is. To be honest, I'm not sure if I want to leave just yet, either."
He raised his eyebrows, and a gentle smile curved her lips. They looked at each other for a long moment, wondering if they should wait, wondering if they should just go for it. Finally, John huffed. "Carpe diem," he murmured, as he leaned in and kissed her.
Faster than they realized, hands were tangled in hair, laughs were exchanged as they kept bumping noses, lips parted, tongues danced, breath was stolen and returned. It was that last issue that prompted them to pull back for a moment.
Having gotten his breath back, John gazed at Elizabeth, wondering to himself just how he'd managed to get so lucky.
She chuckled. "What?"
"You're okay with this? I mean, I know this is sudden, but-"
"John, if there is one thing I've come to expect from you, it's to expect the unexpected. After all," she said cheekily, "You did warn me that you could get us into all sorts of trouble."
He grinned. "So, what kind of trouble would you like first, Doc? Dinner and a movie?"
"You've got yourself a deal, Major."
***
Back at the edge of the path leading up to the Athosian camp, a small group of friends watched as the two people they'd come to love and trust as leaders and friends finally took the first step into the new world they would all forge together. For that night at least, all was well with the universe, and nothing, not the Genii, not the specter of the Wraith, not doubts about those left behind in another galaxy, not even the divisions between them, would chase them from the path of that destiny.
Fin.