Stargate Atlantis Fanfiction - Gravity - Part Four: "The Garden"
Gravity:Part One: Curls
Gravity:Part Two: A Gift
Gravity:Part Three: Yoga
Gravity
~The Garden~
John leaned, casual and loose limbed, in the doorway of Elizabeth’s office. She hadn’t yet seemed to have noticed him, so the military leader took the chance to freely admire her without either Elizabeth protesting, or others looking on.
The Atlantean leader’s head was tilted to one side, her ocean green eyes intent as she read the screen of her laptop. One hand rested lightly on the scroll pad of her computer and the other absently played with the silver pendant of her necklace where it hung above the low V of her red shirt. And for a moment, John found himself fascinated by the graceful movement of her hand.
“Are you just going to stand there watching me, John?” Elizabeth asked finally without looking up, her voice faintly amused.
“What would you say if I said yes?” He replied, a smile in his own voice.
“I’d say that it seems like you have entirely too much time on your hands, and maybe I should grant Rodney’s request for another assistant in his lab with the Ancient gene,” she answered dryly, trying to keep the smile from her lips.
“I think that we both know what a waste of my talents that would be,” John quipped, giving Elizabeth a shameless grin when she looked up.
“Oh, I’m not entirely certain of that Colonel,” she teased back, smiling.
“Well then,” he drawled, pushing himself away from the door in one fluid movement and making his way across the office to stand behind Elizabeth’s chair. He placed his hands on the back of her chair to brace himself as he leaned down so he could murmur softly into her ear, “I’ll just have to find a way to convince you.”
“Convince me?” The Atlantean leader practically whispered in response.
“Of course,” he replied in a deep murmur before he rose slowly and gently turned her chair around to face him. “You have to give me a chance to prove myself,” he insisted before adding with a lopsided grin, “and my talents.”
“Come with me,” John said then, taking her hand and urging her up from the chair.
“John,” she protested. “John, I still have reports to review.”
“And they’ll still be right here for you when you get back,” he reasoned, leading her out the side door, through the corridors of Atlantis, and to the nearest transporter.
“John, where are we going?” Elizabeth asked as the transporter brought them to a section of Atlantis far from the area that the expedition was currently occupying.
“You’ll see,” he replied as he lead her out of the transporter and into the hallway. “Trust me.” The military commander gave Elizabeth a playful grin.
“Colonel,” she tried again, only to be interrupted by John kissing her unexpectedly.
“Trust me,” he repeated, giving her another quick kiss before taking her hand once more and leading her down the hallway.
Finally, they came to a large closed door and John waved his hand over the blue crystals at the edge of the doorframe. The doors slid open to reveal a Zen-like garden warmly illuminated by the setting sun that poured in through the wall of stained glass. The pilot grinned playfully again and stepped into the garden room, beckoning to Elizabeth.
“It’s beautiful,” she said reverently as she looked around herself and to the wall of stained glass, the elegant fountain mimicking a stream flowing through glittering stones, and the single ancient Cherry-like tree that grew in the heart of the garden.
“There’s more,” John said quietly and reached for Elizabeth’s hand so that he could lead her over to a seemingly blank wall. Gently, he guided her hand to the wall and stepped close behind her pressing himself lightly against her back.
“Watch,” he whispered quietly into her ear. “The first time I saw this, I thought of you.”
John brushed his hand over the wall until it rested warmly over hers. Atlantis responded to his touch, and a moonlight blue Ancient poetic script began to glow softly…
“These things are there,” he translated unexpectedly.
“The garden and the tree; the serpent at its root; the fruit of gold. The woman in the shadow of the boughs. The running water and the grassy space. They are and were there. At the old world’s rim, in the Atlantean grove.”
“These things are there,” he continued, his voice low and tender.
“The garden and the tree; the blossom on the branch; the leaf of green. The grassy bower in the shadows of passion. The crystal fountain and the secluded place. They are and were there. At the old world’s rim, in the Atlantean grove.
“These things are there,” John continued, his lips brushing softly against her ear.
“The garden and the tree; the petal falling down in grace; the fruit of gold. The promise in the shadows of the boughs. The water dance and the hidden space. And you and I are there. At the old world’s rim, in the Atlantean grove,” John finished translating the tender poem.
“How do you know what it says?” Elizabeth asked, her voice as quiet as John’s.
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I think that maybe it’s the gene. God knows I couldn’t understand any other Ancient if my life depended on it. Or maybe…” John murmured. “It’s because it reminds me of you… of us,” he whispered warmly.
“Us?” Elizabeth said softly as she turned in John’s arms, facing him.
John reached for the hair slide holding Elizabeth’s hair back, freeing the soft dark curls so that he could gently tangle his fingers in their length. “Us,” John murmured as he kissed her passionately, nibbling softly at her lips and his tongue a warm caress against hers.
“This is crazy. We’re crazy,” Elizabeth sighed finally when they broke the kiss.
“I know,” John confessed as he brushed back her hair gently before sliding his hands down her sides and to her hips. He bent to nuzzle at her neck, nipping softly and prompting Elizabeth to tilt her head slightly, giving him better access.
“It would mean our careers,” she gasped softly, as John brought his lips to the warm hollow of Elizabeth’s throat. “Leaving Atlantis,” she continued, “if anyone ever found out.”
“And it feels like we’re lying all the time,” she confessed.
John mumbled something against her neck as he trailed kisses over her skin until he reached the spot just behind her ear, making her gasp in response.
“We are crazy. This is crazy,” John agreed, whispering in her ear before pulling back to look into her ocean green eyes. “So do you…” he hesitated, “do want to…”
“To end it?” She finished for him, holding his warm gaze with her own soft one. She reached her hands upward to lay them lightly over his deep heartbeat, feeling it pulsing rapidly beneath her palms. “We should,” she said softly.
“You’re right of course,” John agreed reluctantly. “You’re right, but…”
“John?” Elizabeth asked, her ocean green eyes dark with mixed emotion.
“But…” he breathed. “Oh God, Elizabeth,” he practically gasped. “You… I… you…” He took a deep breath, licked his lips, and slid his hands upward so he could cradle her head tenderly between them. “You’ve become my gravity.” John met her dark eyes with his own. “You are, my gravity,” he repeated sincerely.
“John,” Elizabeth whispered in response. “We can’t end this,” Elizabeth agreed finally, bringing John’s head down for another kiss and leaning back against the wall. She pulled him tight against herself, needing to feel him close.
“This is crazy,” she repeated when they finally broke the kiss. “There are so many reasons that we shouldn’t do this. And everything in my head tells me that this could end with us falling.” She said softly. “But with you, I feel like I’m flying,” Elizabeth murmured. “And I think I really like the feeling,” she admitted.
“I can fly,” John responded cheekily, causing Elizabeth to smile, almost despite herself.
“I know,” she replied, her voice low and tender.
“I won’t let you fall, Elizabeth. I’ll catch you,” he promised.
“I know that too,” she assured him, the wall behind them glowing softly as John bent his head to kiss her again…
Gravity:Part Two: A Gift
Gravity:Part Three: Yoga
Gravity
~The Garden~
John leaned, casual and loose limbed, in the doorway of Elizabeth’s office. She hadn’t yet seemed to have noticed him, so the military leader took the chance to freely admire her without either Elizabeth protesting, or others looking on.
The Atlantean leader’s head was tilted to one side, her ocean green eyes intent as she read the screen of her laptop. One hand rested lightly on the scroll pad of her computer and the other absently played with the silver pendant of her necklace where it hung above the low V of her red shirt. And for a moment, John found himself fascinated by the graceful movement of her hand.
“Are you just going to stand there watching me, John?” Elizabeth asked finally without looking up, her voice faintly amused.
“What would you say if I said yes?” He replied, a smile in his own voice.
“I’d say that it seems like you have entirely too much time on your hands, and maybe I should grant Rodney’s request for another assistant in his lab with the Ancient gene,” she answered dryly, trying to keep the smile from her lips.
“I think that we both know what a waste of my talents that would be,” John quipped, giving Elizabeth a shameless grin when she looked up.
“Oh, I’m not entirely certain of that Colonel,” she teased back, smiling.
“Well then,” he drawled, pushing himself away from the door in one fluid movement and making his way across the office to stand behind Elizabeth’s chair. He placed his hands on the back of her chair to brace himself as he leaned down so he could murmur softly into her ear, “I’ll just have to find a way to convince you.”
“Convince me?” The Atlantean leader practically whispered in response.
“Of course,” he replied in a deep murmur before he rose slowly and gently turned her chair around to face him. “You have to give me a chance to prove myself,” he insisted before adding with a lopsided grin, “and my talents.”
“Come with me,” John said then, taking her hand and urging her up from the chair.
“John,” she protested. “John, I still have reports to review.”
“And they’ll still be right here for you when you get back,” he reasoned, leading her out the side door, through the corridors of Atlantis, and to the nearest transporter.
“John, where are we going?” Elizabeth asked as the transporter brought them to a section of Atlantis far from the area that the expedition was currently occupying.
“You’ll see,” he replied as he lead her out of the transporter and into the hallway. “Trust me.” The military commander gave Elizabeth a playful grin.
“Colonel,” she tried again, only to be interrupted by John kissing her unexpectedly.
“Trust me,” he repeated, giving her another quick kiss before taking her hand once more and leading her down the hallway.
Finally, they came to a large closed door and John waved his hand over the blue crystals at the edge of the doorframe. The doors slid open to reveal a Zen-like garden warmly illuminated by the setting sun that poured in through the wall of stained glass. The pilot grinned playfully again and stepped into the garden room, beckoning to Elizabeth.
“It’s beautiful,” she said reverently as she looked around herself and to the wall of stained glass, the elegant fountain mimicking a stream flowing through glittering stones, and the single ancient Cherry-like tree that grew in the heart of the garden.
“There’s more,” John said quietly and reached for Elizabeth’s hand so that he could lead her over to a seemingly blank wall. Gently, he guided her hand to the wall and stepped close behind her pressing himself lightly against her back.
“Watch,” he whispered quietly into her ear. “The first time I saw this, I thought of you.”
John brushed his hand over the wall until it rested warmly over hers. Atlantis responded to his touch, and a moonlight blue Ancient poetic script began to glow softly…
“These things are there,” he translated unexpectedly.
“The garden and the tree; the serpent at its root; the fruit of gold. The woman in the shadow of the boughs. The running water and the grassy space. They are and were there. At the old world’s rim, in the Atlantean grove.”
“These things are there,” he continued, his voice low and tender.
“The garden and the tree; the blossom on the branch; the leaf of green. The grassy bower in the shadows of passion. The crystal fountain and the secluded place. They are and were there. At the old world’s rim, in the Atlantean grove.
“These things are there,” John continued, his lips brushing softly against her ear.
“The garden and the tree; the petal falling down in grace; the fruit of gold. The promise in the shadows of the boughs. The water dance and the hidden space. And you and I are there. At the old world’s rim, in the Atlantean grove,” John finished translating the tender poem.
“How do you know what it says?” Elizabeth asked, her voice as quiet as John’s.
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I think that maybe it’s the gene. God knows I couldn’t understand any other Ancient if my life depended on it. Or maybe…” John murmured. “It’s because it reminds me of you… of us,” he whispered warmly.
“Us?” Elizabeth said softly as she turned in John’s arms, facing him.
John reached for the hair slide holding Elizabeth’s hair back, freeing the soft dark curls so that he could gently tangle his fingers in their length. “Us,” John murmured as he kissed her passionately, nibbling softly at her lips and his tongue a warm caress against hers.
“This is crazy. We’re crazy,” Elizabeth sighed finally when they broke the kiss.
“I know,” John confessed as he brushed back her hair gently before sliding his hands down her sides and to her hips. He bent to nuzzle at her neck, nipping softly and prompting Elizabeth to tilt her head slightly, giving him better access.
“It would mean our careers,” she gasped softly, as John brought his lips to the warm hollow of Elizabeth’s throat. “Leaving Atlantis,” she continued, “if anyone ever found out.”
“And it feels like we’re lying all the time,” she confessed.
John mumbled something against her neck as he trailed kisses over her skin until he reached the spot just behind her ear, making her gasp in response.
“We are crazy. This is crazy,” John agreed, whispering in her ear before pulling back to look into her ocean green eyes. “So do you…” he hesitated, “do want to…”
“To end it?” She finished for him, holding his warm gaze with her own soft one. She reached her hands upward to lay them lightly over his deep heartbeat, feeling it pulsing rapidly beneath her palms. “We should,” she said softly.
“You’re right of course,” John agreed reluctantly. “You’re right, but…”
“John?” Elizabeth asked, her ocean green eyes dark with mixed emotion.
“But…” he breathed. “Oh God, Elizabeth,” he practically gasped. “You… I… you…” He took a deep breath, licked his lips, and slid his hands upward so he could cradle her head tenderly between them. “You’ve become my gravity.” John met her dark eyes with his own. “You are, my gravity,” he repeated sincerely.
“John,” Elizabeth whispered in response. “We can’t end this,” Elizabeth agreed finally, bringing John’s head down for another kiss and leaning back against the wall. She pulled him tight against herself, needing to feel him close.
“This is crazy,” she repeated when they finally broke the kiss. “There are so many reasons that we shouldn’t do this. And everything in my head tells me that this could end with us falling.” She said softly. “But with you, I feel like I’m flying,” Elizabeth murmured. “And I think I really like the feeling,” she admitted.
“I can fly,” John responded cheekily, causing Elizabeth to smile, almost despite herself.
“I know,” she replied, her voice low and tender.
“I won’t let you fall, Elizabeth. I’ll catch you,” he promised.
“I know that too,” she assured him, the wall behind them glowing softly as John bent his head to kiss her again…