(no subject)
Title: A Circle Is Never Broken
Author: Angel of Fire SG1
Rating: G
Spoilers: None
Holiday: Christmas
~*~
Elizabeth glanced up at the Christmas tree someone had set up in the TV room. She wasn't entirely sure who had bothered to do it, but she did know that even though it was Christmas Eve this was the first time she'd actually noticed it.
Nobody had been particularly Christmas spirited that year. The first year they'd made a huge deal out of it, taking every moment to connect with something happening back on Earth as a good one, the second year it was already a habit and the third year there was a lack of spirit.
She sat down on the couch and drew her knees up, resting her coffee cup on top of the right one.
The lights of the tree were the only thing she could properly in the room, and she wasn't even entirely sure what was drawing her to them. Maybe it was the memories of her childhood that it brought back, of happier times. Easier times. Times when she didn't wake up each morning wondering which expedition member would die that day, which alien species would try to wipe them out.
"Strange time of day to be drinking coffee isn't it?"
She smiled, knowing who it was. The one person who always managed to find her. She looked over as John Sheppard sat down on the other side of the couch, coffee in his hand.
"Couldn't sleep," she replied.
"And you thought the consumption of caffeine would help this situation how?" he grinned at her.
"I didn't," she said honestly. "Just felt like the right thing to do. Now why are you up?"
"It's almost midnight home time and I wanted to sit and watch the tree," he admitted.
She looked at him for a few moments as he looked at the lights. "It was you."
"Got me."
He didn't quite smile as she expected him to, just watched the lights. She found her own eyes drawn back to them. It had always amazed her how she never felt uncomfortable sitting in total silence around John.
It took her a long time to notice a solitary parcel lying underneath the tree.
"John?" she turned to him.
"Open it," he replied.
It also never ceased to amaze her how easily they read each other's minds. She narrowed her eyes at him in the dark and then handed him her coffee, standing up and moving to the tree. She picked up the rather large parcel and brought it back to the couch.
"I set up the tree so I had something to put the present under," he admitted.
She narrowed her eyes again and looked down. On the top lay a small card saying 'To whom it concerns, you know who you are...'. She smiled and took it off, placing it on the couch, before turning the present over and neatly removing the paper.
Inside was a box.
She opened that too, only to find a whole lot of tissue paper, and a smaller box. Absentmindedly she hit John lightly on the shoulder.
"Is there actually anything in here?"
He grinned. "You'll see..."
She opened the next box and found a small jewellary box inside of that. She smiled softly and removed it from all the wrapping, underneath spotting a small letter folded up. She picked it up and was about to open it when John reached across and touched her hand lightly.
"Read that later..." he said seriously, nodding to the box. "Open it."
She opened it slowly, inside was a necklace, a simple gold chain with a ring shaped pendant hanging off it.
"A circle," he whispered, and she suddenly realised how close he was to her. "You used to wear a heart and one day you stopped...I don't know who he was, but I do know hearts can be broken. But a circle never ends..."
He reached across and took the necklace from her, moving his hands to brush away her hair and clipped it around her neck. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the closeness of his touch. She knew he stayed so close for a moment too long before he pulled away, but that made her happy.
"Thank you," she whispered in response, forcing herself to look at him.
The look in his eyes scared her, it was one she recognised, the vague twinkle and the hidden smile, but at the same time it made her feel at home. She was glad he was the one who was there with her, and she wondered if her eyes returned the same look.
"Merry Christmas," he whispered, kissing her quickly on the forehead and standing up. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Merry Christmas," she responded as quietly as he had.
And before she could say anything else he was gone.
She was about to pack up everything and leave when she remembered the note that had been folded beneath the gift. She opened it and read:
To Elizabeth,
I'm honestly no good at talking about anything serious, and I've tried to write a thousand letters, but apparently I'm no good at that either. So let me be simple.
I just wanted you to know that I'm glad I met you, because since I have my life has changed for the better. You rescued me from what seemed like a life sentence of flying helicopters in Antarcica, and as much as I enjoyed that, this wins any day.
I want to thank you for always being there. For being the best leader I ever served under. And I want you to know that each day I fall a bit more in love with you.
I shouldn't admit that and I know it, but today is Christmas, and I think we should be allowed to admit things like that once a year.
Love John
She felt tears stinging her eyes, and a part of her wanted to run after him, while the other half had understood why he'd left before letting her read it.
She folded the note up and placed it in the necklace box.
The next morning when he entered her office she noticed the first thing he looked for was the necklace, and when he saw it around her neck he smiled. She smiled back at him.
This was what Christmas was supposed to be about.
~*~
Author: Angel of Fire SG1
Rating: G
Spoilers: None
Holiday: Christmas
~*~
Elizabeth glanced up at the Christmas tree someone had set up in the TV room. She wasn't entirely sure who had bothered to do it, but she did know that even though it was Christmas Eve this was the first time she'd actually noticed it.
Nobody had been particularly Christmas spirited that year. The first year they'd made a huge deal out of it, taking every moment to connect with something happening back on Earth as a good one, the second year it was already a habit and the third year there was a lack of spirit.
She sat down on the couch and drew her knees up, resting her coffee cup on top of the right one.
The lights of the tree were the only thing she could properly in the room, and she wasn't even entirely sure what was drawing her to them. Maybe it was the memories of her childhood that it brought back, of happier times. Easier times. Times when she didn't wake up each morning wondering which expedition member would die that day, which alien species would try to wipe them out.
"Strange time of day to be drinking coffee isn't it?"
She smiled, knowing who it was. The one person who always managed to find her. She looked over as John Sheppard sat down on the other side of the couch, coffee in his hand.
"Couldn't sleep," she replied.
"And you thought the consumption of caffeine would help this situation how?" he grinned at her.
"I didn't," she said honestly. "Just felt like the right thing to do. Now why are you up?"
"It's almost midnight home time and I wanted to sit and watch the tree," he admitted.
She looked at him for a few moments as he looked at the lights. "It was you."
"Got me."
He didn't quite smile as she expected him to, just watched the lights. She found her own eyes drawn back to them. It had always amazed her how she never felt uncomfortable sitting in total silence around John.
It took her a long time to notice a solitary parcel lying underneath the tree.
"John?" she turned to him.
"Open it," he replied.
It also never ceased to amaze her how easily they read each other's minds. She narrowed her eyes at him in the dark and then handed him her coffee, standing up and moving to the tree. She picked up the rather large parcel and brought it back to the couch.
"I set up the tree so I had something to put the present under," he admitted.
She narrowed her eyes again and looked down. On the top lay a small card saying 'To whom it concerns, you know who you are...'. She smiled and took it off, placing it on the couch, before turning the present over and neatly removing the paper.
Inside was a box.
She opened that too, only to find a whole lot of tissue paper, and a smaller box. Absentmindedly she hit John lightly on the shoulder.
"Is there actually anything in here?"
He grinned. "You'll see..."
She opened the next box and found a small jewellary box inside of that. She smiled softly and removed it from all the wrapping, underneath spotting a small letter folded up. She picked it up and was about to open it when John reached across and touched her hand lightly.
"Read that later..." he said seriously, nodding to the box. "Open it."
She opened it slowly, inside was a necklace, a simple gold chain with a ring shaped pendant hanging off it.
"A circle," he whispered, and she suddenly realised how close he was to her. "You used to wear a heart and one day you stopped...I don't know who he was, but I do know hearts can be broken. But a circle never ends..."
He reached across and took the necklace from her, moving his hands to brush away her hair and clipped it around her neck. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the closeness of his touch. She knew he stayed so close for a moment too long before he pulled away, but that made her happy.
"Thank you," she whispered in response, forcing herself to look at him.
The look in his eyes scared her, it was one she recognised, the vague twinkle and the hidden smile, but at the same time it made her feel at home. She was glad he was the one who was there with her, and she wondered if her eyes returned the same look.
"Merry Christmas," he whispered, kissing her quickly on the forehead and standing up. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Merry Christmas," she responded as quietly as he had.
And before she could say anything else he was gone.
She was about to pack up everything and leave when she remembered the note that had been folded beneath the gift. She opened it and read:
To Elizabeth,
I'm honestly no good at talking about anything serious, and I've tried to write a thousand letters, but apparently I'm no good at that either. So let me be simple.
I just wanted you to know that I'm glad I met you, because since I have my life has changed for the better. You rescued me from what seemed like a life sentence of flying helicopters in Antarcica, and as much as I enjoyed that, this wins any day.
I want to thank you for always being there. For being the best leader I ever served under. And I want you to know that each day I fall a bit more in love with you.
I shouldn't admit that and I know it, but today is Christmas, and I think we should be allowed to admit things like that once a year.
Love John
She felt tears stinging her eyes, and a part of her wanted to run after him, while the other half had understood why he'd left before letting her read it.
She folded the note up and placed it in the necklace box.
The next morning when he entered her office she noticed the first thing he looked for was the necklace, and when he saw it around her neck he smiled. She smiled back at him.
This was what Christmas was supposed to be about.
~*~