"Waiting My Whole Life for This" SGA Ficlit (Conclusion of Better Later Than Never)
Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis, if I did, season 4 would be different. *grin* The grand high Mucky Mucks own it, alas and alack. I am making no money from this ficlit and no copyright infringement is intended. Any similarity to any story not my own is coincidence.
Title: Waiting My Whole Life for This(Conclusion of Better Later Than Never)
Genre: SGA; John/Elizabeth; AU of course
Rating: G
Timeline: Sometime during Season 4; 39 years after "This is Your Life"
Warning: Contains contents based on certain spoilers for season 4. And it's me, so include a warning for high sugar/sap content. And for this conclusion, I'm giving an extra big warning for highly fluffy content!
This is the conclusion of Better Later Than Never; Dream a Little Dream; Office Space; An Ocean Full of Stars; and This Is Your Life
Waiting My Whole Life for This
Elizabeth ran a finger over the simple picture frame before carefully picking up the photo.
“That’s Teyla’s boy,” an age worn voice said from behind her.
“He looks like her,” Elizabeth replied without turning. She set the photograph back down on the shelf.
“Yeah,” the old man agreed. “She never did tell us who the father was,” he added. “But my money’s on Lorne.”
“Major Lorne?” Elizabeth asked with some surprise. “I thought that there was something between Dr. Keller and the Major?”
“That was according to Teyla,” the elderly man reminded her, a familiar tone of amusement coloring his voice. “It’s the eyes…” he prompted.
Elizabeth picked the photo back up and examined it. “The eyes…” she agreed before setting the picture back in its place.
“I don’t see any pictures of your family,” Elizabeth said gently.
“That’s because you’re not looking the right way,” the old man replied.
Elizabeth scanned the photographs and objects covering the shelves and fireplace mantel. She saw several pictures of people that she remembered from Atlantis; Rodney with his arm around Carson, a huge grin on both of the men’s faces and a fish in their free hands. There was one of Ronon looking a taciturn as ever, but with a small spark of amusement in his eyes. Teyla had posed for a picture with her newborn cradled in her arms. Dr. Keller and Teyla were laughing in yet another small photo set amongst the others.
Elizabeth turned her attention to another small shelf and she found more photos, this time of people that she was unfamiliar with. There was one of two men dressed in desert fatigues, dog tags loose about their necks. Another was of an older man that was clearly proud of the tall, dark haired man standing beside him in an Air Force uniform.
“There are no pictures of your wife… children…” Elizabeth said quietly.
“Look closer…” the old man prompted.
Elizabeth looked on the mantel and saw a photo of herself in a delicate frame. There was another small one of John and herself clearly caught unawares as they laughed over lunch in the Atlantis mess.
“It wouldn’t have been fair…” the voice rumbled gently behind her. “There would have always been you standing there… just you… the one that I was really waiting for…”
Elizabeth’s hand hovered over a final picture, this one a small painting of a little girl with wild dark hair and laughing green eyes holding Elizabeth’s hand. She picked it up gently and turned, holding the frame lightly in her hands.
“Lorne painted for me,” John said, his still green eyes wistful. “He thought it was a little weird, but he owed me one… so…” He shrugged without thought, wincing slightly when the movement caused him pain.
John sighed, “I needed to remember…” He met her eyes. “And I have…”
He walked forward, leaning heavily on his cane. Gently, he took the picture from Elizabeth. “I remember everything, Beth.”
He set the picture back on the mantelpiece and took the sight of Elizabeth all in.
“You look even better than I remember.”
Elizabeth smiled softly and reached to brush her hand gently through John’s gray, unruly hair.
“And you still need a haircut,” she said tenderly before kissing him softly.
“Elizabeth, you still think I’m hot,” he said with a with a familiar lopsided grin that brought out the sparkle in his green eyes and made the laugh lines around them dance.
She was surprised into a joyous laugh.
“I missed that…” John said quietly. “I missed you.”
“I’m here,” Elizabeth whispered. “I’m here, and I won’t leave without you this time.”
“I thought that they had rules against messing around with us humans.”
“I don’t care… besides, they need me,” Elizabeth replied confidently.
John gave her a look. “I thought that that was my MO, bucking the system.”
“What can I say, you’re a bad influence.”
“Hey, no way you’re pinning this on me, we haven’t been together for thirty-nine years,” John replied with quiet humor.
“You’ve always been with me,” Elizabeth replied with gentle sincerity. She brought his hand to her heart. “Always.”
John looked to his age spotted hand resting against the white fabric of Elizabeth’s gown. “Elizabeth…”
She looked down herself. “I’m not leaving without you,” she whispered. “One way or another,” she added in a low voice.
“Lizabeth…”
“One way or another,” she repeated, urging him to meet her eyes.
He licked his lips and she smiled at seeing the familiar old gesture.
“Do you trust me?”
“With my life,” John replied without hesitation.
Elizabeth lead him to a living room chair and waited patiently as he settled himself. Then quietly, she knelt before him and reached up to trace familiar features well-worn by time. Finally, she cradled his face in her hands and kissed him softly.
John’s last breath left his body with a sigh and a soft rattle.
“That tingled,” he said as Elizabeth stepped back, letting John rise from the chair. “And you know… I think I’m not going to look back…” he added with a wry grin. “Did you?” he asked curiously after a moment.
Elizabeth shook her head. “No…”
John looked down to his hands and flexed them experimentally, clearly pleased to see the muscles working smoothly once more beneath the skin.
Elizabeth smiled and stepped forward to brush her hands through his unruly, dark hair. “You still need a haircut,” she said fondly.
“Maybe…” John conceded. “But there’s no way I’m getting all Ancienty,” he said, indicating Elizabeth’s white gown with a small, vague sort of gesture.
She raised an eyebrow. “Ancienty?”
“Ancienty,” John repeated with a small nod.
“How long before they find…”
“…Out what I’ve helped you do?” Elizabeth completed the question.
John nodded.
“Long enough,” she answered.
John gave Elizabeth his old wicked grin. “Long enough?”
She raised an eyebrow and laughed before she could stop herself.
“I think I liked those stars… I wonder if we could do something like that ourselves,” John mused.
Elizabeth laughed again. “Come with me.”
“Try stopping me…” John said with a grin as he took her offered hand and their forms faded in a glow of light…
FIN
Title: Waiting My Whole Life for This(Conclusion of Better Later Than Never)
Genre: SGA; John/Elizabeth; AU of course
Rating: G
Timeline: Sometime during Season 4; 39 years after "This is Your Life"
Warning: Contains contents based on certain spoilers for season 4. And it's me, so include a warning for high sugar/sap content. And for this conclusion, I'm giving an extra big warning for highly fluffy content!
This is the conclusion of Better Later Than Never; Dream a Little Dream; Office Space; An Ocean Full of Stars; and This Is Your Life
Waiting My Whole Life for This
Elizabeth ran a finger over the simple picture frame before carefully picking up the photo.
“That’s Teyla’s boy,” an age worn voice said from behind her.
“He looks like her,” Elizabeth replied without turning. She set the photograph back down on the shelf.
“Yeah,” the old man agreed. “She never did tell us who the father was,” he added. “But my money’s on Lorne.”
“Major Lorne?” Elizabeth asked with some surprise. “I thought that there was something between Dr. Keller and the Major?”
“That was according to Teyla,” the elderly man reminded her, a familiar tone of amusement coloring his voice. “It’s the eyes…” he prompted.
Elizabeth picked the photo back up and examined it. “The eyes…” she agreed before setting the picture back in its place.
“I don’t see any pictures of your family,” Elizabeth said gently.
“That’s because you’re not looking the right way,” the old man replied.
Elizabeth scanned the photographs and objects covering the shelves and fireplace mantel. She saw several pictures of people that she remembered from Atlantis; Rodney with his arm around Carson, a huge grin on both of the men’s faces and a fish in their free hands. There was one of Ronon looking a taciturn as ever, but with a small spark of amusement in his eyes. Teyla had posed for a picture with her newborn cradled in her arms. Dr. Keller and Teyla were laughing in yet another small photo set amongst the others.
Elizabeth turned her attention to another small shelf and she found more photos, this time of people that she was unfamiliar with. There was one of two men dressed in desert fatigues, dog tags loose about their necks. Another was of an older man that was clearly proud of the tall, dark haired man standing beside him in an Air Force uniform.
“There are no pictures of your wife… children…” Elizabeth said quietly.
“Look closer…” the old man prompted.
Elizabeth looked on the mantel and saw a photo of herself in a delicate frame. There was another small one of John and herself clearly caught unawares as they laughed over lunch in the Atlantis mess.
“It wouldn’t have been fair…” the voice rumbled gently behind her. “There would have always been you standing there… just you… the one that I was really waiting for…”
Elizabeth’s hand hovered over a final picture, this one a small painting of a little girl with wild dark hair and laughing green eyes holding Elizabeth’s hand. She picked it up gently and turned, holding the frame lightly in her hands.
“Lorne painted for me,” John said, his still green eyes wistful. “He thought it was a little weird, but he owed me one… so…” He shrugged without thought, wincing slightly when the movement caused him pain.
John sighed, “I needed to remember…” He met her eyes. “And I have…”
He walked forward, leaning heavily on his cane. Gently, he took the picture from Elizabeth. “I remember everything, Beth.”
He set the picture back on the mantelpiece and took the sight of Elizabeth all in.
“You look even better than I remember.”
Elizabeth smiled softly and reached to brush her hand gently through John’s gray, unruly hair.
“And you still need a haircut,” she said tenderly before kissing him softly.
“Elizabeth, you still think I’m hot,” he said with a with a familiar lopsided grin that brought out the sparkle in his green eyes and made the laugh lines around them dance.
She was surprised into a joyous laugh.
“I missed that…” John said quietly. “I missed you.”
“I’m here,” Elizabeth whispered. “I’m here, and I won’t leave without you this time.”
“I thought that they had rules against messing around with us humans.”
“I don’t care… besides, they need me,” Elizabeth replied confidently.
John gave her a look. “I thought that that was my MO, bucking the system.”
“What can I say, you’re a bad influence.”
“Hey, no way you’re pinning this on me, we haven’t been together for thirty-nine years,” John replied with quiet humor.
“You’ve always been with me,” Elizabeth replied with gentle sincerity. She brought his hand to her heart. “Always.”
John looked to his age spotted hand resting against the white fabric of Elizabeth’s gown. “Elizabeth…”
She looked down herself. “I’m not leaving without you,” she whispered. “One way or another,” she added in a low voice.
“Lizabeth…”
“One way or another,” she repeated, urging him to meet her eyes.
He licked his lips and she smiled at seeing the familiar old gesture.
“Do you trust me?”
“With my life,” John replied without hesitation.
Elizabeth lead him to a living room chair and waited patiently as he settled himself. Then quietly, she knelt before him and reached up to trace familiar features well-worn by time. Finally, she cradled his face in her hands and kissed him softly.
John’s last breath left his body with a sigh and a soft rattle.
“That tingled,” he said as Elizabeth stepped back, letting John rise from the chair. “And you know… I think I’m not going to look back…” he added with a wry grin. “Did you?” he asked curiously after a moment.
Elizabeth shook her head. “No…”
John looked down to his hands and flexed them experimentally, clearly pleased to see the muscles working smoothly once more beneath the skin.
Elizabeth smiled and stepped forward to brush her hands through his unruly, dark hair. “You still need a haircut,” she said fondly.
“Maybe…” John conceded. “But there’s no way I’m getting all Ancienty,” he said, indicating Elizabeth’s white gown with a small, vague sort of gesture.
She raised an eyebrow. “Ancienty?”
“Ancienty,” John repeated with a small nod.
“How long before they find…”
“…Out what I’ve helped you do?” Elizabeth completed the question.
John nodded.
“Long enough,” she answered.
John gave Elizabeth his old wicked grin. “Long enough?”
She raised an eyebrow and laughed before she could stop herself.
“I think I liked those stars… I wonder if we could do something like that ourselves,” John mused.
Elizabeth laughed again. “Come with me.”
“Try stopping me…” John said with a grin as he took her offered hand and their forms faded in a glow of light…
FIN