Fanfiction: SGA: Sheppard/Weir, PG-13, AU, 3/3
Meta info is in chapter one.
Chapter Two
“I need to speak with you.”
Frank moved away from the door to let Elizabeth and James in. Calling for Wendy, he led everyone into the living room. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Elizabeth.”
“I know Frank, but it would have been nice if you would have told me about Cam’s letter. But that is not why I am here right now.” Elizabeth sent James to go play in the toy room that Frank and Wendy kept for him. “I want to know…how you would feel if John was in my life.”
“It’s why I found him,” Frank spread out his hands. “I’ve seen how good John is for you. And for James-“
“No!” Wendy cut in as she came to her feet. “I don’t understand any of you! Cameron has been gone for less than five months, and you two want to replace him? Want to find a new father for James?”
“No one can replace Cam, Wendy…” Elizabeth began, but Wendy was done listening. A tiny sob escaping her lips, she turned and walked out of the living room.
“She’s right.” Elizabeth said after a pause, as she rubbed her forehead.
“No she’s not.” Frank slid closer to Elizabeth on the couch and took her hand. “Now, I love my wife, and most times I defer to her in matters pertaining to relationships, but this time she is dead wrong. She is letting her own pain about Cam cloud her judgment. I also think that she is scared that you and James are going to move away from us.”
“So you’re okay with all of this? What if we do move away? John’s base is in San Diego. If things progress…I’m not sure where we would end up.” Elizabeth searched Frank’s face.
With a sigh, Frank rubbed his chin. “Well, I would sure miss you if the two of you left, but you forget that I was there when Cam dictated that letter for John. My son and I had a long discussion, and by the end of it I was ready to move heaven and Earth to find him. Maybe if Wendy had been there, she wouldn’t find this so hard. Besides, I’ve seen the remarkable change in you. Before John got here, you acted like tiny little robots had taken over your body. Like you were dying, and didn’t even know it. John Sheppard pulled you out of it. He made you live again. I’m not the type of person to take that away from someone, and I won’t take that away from you because I love my son and want you to die with his memory.”
Smiling through the tears, Elizabeth reached again for Frank’s hands. “You are truly the best father-in-law a woman can have.”
***
“Grandma? Are you okay, Grandma?” James peeked into his grandparent’s room and then walked over to where she was sitting on the bed. Gently sitting down next to her, he patted her shoulder. “Is it because John likes my mom?”
Wendy wiped her eyes and then stared at her grandson. “Who told you about that?”
Shrugging, James leaned into her. “I heard him tell her yesterday, but I kind of already knew about it. After John came things started to be like when my dad was alive. Things were fun again, plus he would look at her the way my dad had always looked at her, all goofy.” James rolled his eyes, as if he couldn’t believe that a guy would look at a girl like that.
Shocked at how much her grandson paid attention, Wendy hugged him closer to her. “I’m sorry if this upset you-“
“Nope,” James pulled away with a shake of his head, “I’m happy that mom started laughing again. She had tried hard to pretend, but I always knew she wasn’t really getting better. I would hear her cry at night. Since John came she hasn’t cried, well until last night when he left.”
“But, honey, what about your father?” Wendy asked when James moved to the floor to play with the car that he had brought in.
“I know that he is in heaven looking down at us.” James said with an assurance that only a child can have. “He’s happy that John came. If he wasn’t, I’m sure he would have God send a lightning bolt or something.” Stopping, he looked at Wendy with the big blue eyes that reminded her so much of Cameron. “My dad loved us. He would want us to be a happy family again.” Giving her a crooked smile and a quick hug, he ran out of the room.
Wendy sat for a long while contemplating what her grandson had just said. Pulling out the drawer of her bedside table, she brought out the picture of Cameron from when he was in the Air Force. She always loved seeing him in his dress blues. Trailing her finger along the glass, she felt a tear slide down her cheek.
“Do you think you might want to read the letter now?” The bed dipped as Frank sat down next to her. Handing her the letter, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Taking a deep breath, she put the picture frame down, and then began opening the letter that Elizabeth had just given back to them.
***
“What you doing?” Elizabeth entered the playroom and then sank down to the floor next to her son.
“Building a stronghold for the men who are fighting the evil aliens.” James said, as he moved more figurines around.
“How are you doing with that? Are the good guys winning?”
“They are trying, but they recently lost their leader and the new one is making lots of mistakes.”
Elizabeth smiled at her son’s imagination. Helping him place a few figures, she finally decided to broach the subject that she had come in here to talk about with him. “James, you know how John has been spending a lot of time with us?”
“Yeah, I like him.”
“Good. How would you feel if he was around all the time?”
“You mean, like if he lived with us?” James stopped what he was doing and stared at his mom. After she shook her head, a big smile formed on his face. “That would be so cool! Then we would both be happy all the time.”
“Well, I guess we will have to see what John thinks about it.” Elizabeth said, starting to feel a bit panicked now that she was coming so close to an actual decision.
“We will have to catch him quick.” James came to his feet and started toward the door. “Last night when he came for his suitcase, and you went to your room after letting him in, he told me that he was going to fly out today.”
“I don’t know if we should rush out now. I have his phone number, it might be best to call-“
“Go now, Elizabeth.” Wendy was standing in the doorway, wiping at tears running down her face. “If you don’t go now, you will regret it!” Walking to Wendy, Elizabeth took her hand and searched for the approval on her face that she needed. Cam’s mom gave a little laugh, and pulled her in for a hug. “That man loves you! You would be a bigger fool than me, if you let that pass you by!”
Returning the hug with a big one of her own, Elizabeth turned back to James who was smiling. “Ready to go get John?”
***
“We have a hold, flight 112,” John rolled his eyes at the voice on his headphones.
“What is the problem now, tower?” He had been trying to get out of the airport for almost two hours. He was flying a Cessna to the bigger airport in Kansas City, and then going to try and hop a flight home to San Diego from there.
“Security has just come up with a problem.”
“What type of problem?” John was starting to get annoyed. This is why he hated small airports. Everything was so laid back, that nothing really ran on time. Then suddenly some bozo airport security guard would come up with something that he thought was suspicious. Silence. Tapping his headphones, John tried again. “What is the problem, tower?”
“John?”
His heart skipped a beat, as a smooth feminine voice came on the radio. He thought that he must be hearing things. “Elizabeth?”
Suddenly a young voice echoed from the background. “Tell him that we want him to stay, mom.”
“John we, I want you to stay.”
John thought his heart was going to burst open. It was pounding so hard in his chest that he could hardly think. Radioing for the ground crew to bring the portable steps, he rushed through the procedures to turn off the plane. Opening the hatch, he stared with amazement as Elizabeth and James were standing on the tarmac. Coming to the bottom of the stairs, he stopped. He didn’t really know what to do. Suddenly, Elizabeth put James hand into the security guy who was with them, and came running toward him. They met halfway, and fell into one another embrace.
“Oh John, please don’t go. I was wrong, I was wrong about everything.” Elizabeth pulled back. “I can’t bear to lose you again. Not after just getting you back into my life.” Before he could say anything, she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck and brought his head down for a kiss. Wrapping his own arms around her, John threaded his fingers through her hair and took over. This kiss was something he had dreamed about for years. It was as if the whole world dissolved away, and it was only them trying to merge their two bodies into one.
“People can see you!” James shouted from his spot on the side of the tarmac, breaking the effect.
Pulling away from each other, they both gave a little embarrassed laugh. Licking his lips, John looked from Elizabeth to James. “Are you sure about this?”
Taking his hand into hers, she started moving toward James. “Oh yes. We are both sure. Although James says that he is only okay with it if you buy him a car when he turns sixteen.”
“Wow, the kid has come up in the whole bribing game. I was able to buy him off with plastic wings just a few short weeks ago.” John laughed, and then let go of Elizabeth’s hand to catch James as he came flying towards them.
“Wow! Can you really fly that thing?” James asked pointing over John’s shoulder at the Cessna.
“John can fly anything.” Elizabeth chimed in as the security guard let them back into the terminal. “Flying is in his genes.”
Moving James to his other side, John wrapped his free arm around Elizabeth. “Flying might be in my genes, but you are in my heart.” They looked at each other for a beat, before Elizabeth snorted with laughter.
“That is such a cheesy line, John Sheppard!” Elizabeth said, and then leaned into his side. “Good thing I still like you.” And just like that John found himself with the family that he had only ever dreamed about.
“I think I just might be the luckiest man alive.” John said, as they all made their way out of the airport.
***
“Hey Cam,” John ran his hand through his hair, and then shoved his hands into his coat pocket. He was standing in front of Cameron Mitchell’s headstone, feeling like an idiot. “I’m not good at this sort of thing. I guess I am just here to say, thank you. Thank you for bringing Elizabeth and me together. I’m not sure I would have done the same, if I were in your shoes. Well, I guess we know who the better guy is.” John broke off and stared into the blue sky. It was a Kansas sky that went on forever. “Can you believe that I am going to live in Podunk, Kansas? I’m going to fly lame commuter planes between Manhattan and Kansas City.” Shaking his head at that, John again focused on Cam’s name. “I promise to take care of them. And to always remind James about what a good man his father was. I’ll make things up, so you look good. Scouts honor.” John held up his hand. John placed the flowers that he had brought with him in the little vase that Elizabeth had had built into the headstone. “Well, bye Cam.” Walking toward the car, John could see a rainbow in the distance. Glancing over his shoulder at the grave, John shook his head with a smile and then climbed into the car. “You always did need to have the last word, Mitchell.” Starting the car, John let out a content sigh. It was the beginning of a new life. The time of Elizabeth and John had come at last.
Chapter Two
“I need to speak with you.”
Frank moved away from the door to let Elizabeth and James in. Calling for Wendy, he led everyone into the living room. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Elizabeth.”
“I know Frank, but it would have been nice if you would have told me about Cam’s letter. But that is not why I am here right now.” Elizabeth sent James to go play in the toy room that Frank and Wendy kept for him. “I want to know…how you would feel if John was in my life.”
“It’s why I found him,” Frank spread out his hands. “I’ve seen how good John is for you. And for James-“
“No!” Wendy cut in as she came to her feet. “I don’t understand any of you! Cameron has been gone for less than five months, and you two want to replace him? Want to find a new father for James?”
“No one can replace Cam, Wendy…” Elizabeth began, but Wendy was done listening. A tiny sob escaping her lips, she turned and walked out of the living room.
“She’s right.” Elizabeth said after a pause, as she rubbed her forehead.
“No she’s not.” Frank slid closer to Elizabeth on the couch and took her hand. “Now, I love my wife, and most times I defer to her in matters pertaining to relationships, but this time she is dead wrong. She is letting her own pain about Cam cloud her judgment. I also think that she is scared that you and James are going to move away from us.”
“So you’re okay with all of this? What if we do move away? John’s base is in San Diego. If things progress…I’m not sure where we would end up.” Elizabeth searched Frank’s face.
With a sigh, Frank rubbed his chin. “Well, I would sure miss you if the two of you left, but you forget that I was there when Cam dictated that letter for John. My son and I had a long discussion, and by the end of it I was ready to move heaven and Earth to find him. Maybe if Wendy had been there, she wouldn’t find this so hard. Besides, I’ve seen the remarkable change in you. Before John got here, you acted like tiny little robots had taken over your body. Like you were dying, and didn’t even know it. John Sheppard pulled you out of it. He made you live again. I’m not the type of person to take that away from someone, and I won’t take that away from you because I love my son and want you to die with his memory.”
Smiling through the tears, Elizabeth reached again for Frank’s hands. “You are truly the best father-in-law a woman can have.”
***
“Grandma? Are you okay, Grandma?” James peeked into his grandparent’s room and then walked over to where she was sitting on the bed. Gently sitting down next to her, he patted her shoulder. “Is it because John likes my mom?”
Wendy wiped her eyes and then stared at her grandson. “Who told you about that?”
Shrugging, James leaned into her. “I heard him tell her yesterday, but I kind of already knew about it. After John came things started to be like when my dad was alive. Things were fun again, plus he would look at her the way my dad had always looked at her, all goofy.” James rolled his eyes, as if he couldn’t believe that a guy would look at a girl like that.
Shocked at how much her grandson paid attention, Wendy hugged him closer to her. “I’m sorry if this upset you-“
“Nope,” James pulled away with a shake of his head, “I’m happy that mom started laughing again. She had tried hard to pretend, but I always knew she wasn’t really getting better. I would hear her cry at night. Since John came she hasn’t cried, well until last night when he left.”
“But, honey, what about your father?” Wendy asked when James moved to the floor to play with the car that he had brought in.
“I know that he is in heaven looking down at us.” James said with an assurance that only a child can have. “He’s happy that John came. If he wasn’t, I’m sure he would have God send a lightning bolt or something.” Stopping, he looked at Wendy with the big blue eyes that reminded her so much of Cameron. “My dad loved us. He would want us to be a happy family again.” Giving her a crooked smile and a quick hug, he ran out of the room.
Wendy sat for a long while contemplating what her grandson had just said. Pulling out the drawer of her bedside table, she brought out the picture of Cameron from when he was in the Air Force. She always loved seeing him in his dress blues. Trailing her finger along the glass, she felt a tear slide down her cheek.
“Do you think you might want to read the letter now?” The bed dipped as Frank sat down next to her. Handing her the letter, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Taking a deep breath, she put the picture frame down, and then began opening the letter that Elizabeth had just given back to them.
***
“What you doing?” Elizabeth entered the playroom and then sank down to the floor next to her son.
“Building a stronghold for the men who are fighting the evil aliens.” James said, as he moved more figurines around.
“How are you doing with that? Are the good guys winning?”
“They are trying, but they recently lost their leader and the new one is making lots of mistakes.”
Elizabeth smiled at her son’s imagination. Helping him place a few figures, she finally decided to broach the subject that she had come in here to talk about with him. “James, you know how John has been spending a lot of time with us?”
“Yeah, I like him.”
“Good. How would you feel if he was around all the time?”
“You mean, like if he lived with us?” James stopped what he was doing and stared at his mom. After she shook her head, a big smile formed on his face. “That would be so cool! Then we would both be happy all the time.”
“Well, I guess we will have to see what John thinks about it.” Elizabeth said, starting to feel a bit panicked now that she was coming so close to an actual decision.
“We will have to catch him quick.” James came to his feet and started toward the door. “Last night when he came for his suitcase, and you went to your room after letting him in, he told me that he was going to fly out today.”
“I don’t know if we should rush out now. I have his phone number, it might be best to call-“
“Go now, Elizabeth.” Wendy was standing in the doorway, wiping at tears running down her face. “If you don’t go now, you will regret it!” Walking to Wendy, Elizabeth took her hand and searched for the approval on her face that she needed. Cam’s mom gave a little laugh, and pulled her in for a hug. “That man loves you! You would be a bigger fool than me, if you let that pass you by!”
Returning the hug with a big one of her own, Elizabeth turned back to James who was smiling. “Ready to go get John?”
***
“We have a hold, flight 112,” John rolled his eyes at the voice on his headphones.
“What is the problem now, tower?” He had been trying to get out of the airport for almost two hours. He was flying a Cessna to the bigger airport in Kansas City, and then going to try and hop a flight home to San Diego from there.
“Security has just come up with a problem.”
“What type of problem?” John was starting to get annoyed. This is why he hated small airports. Everything was so laid back, that nothing really ran on time. Then suddenly some bozo airport security guard would come up with something that he thought was suspicious. Silence. Tapping his headphones, John tried again. “What is the problem, tower?”
“John?”
His heart skipped a beat, as a smooth feminine voice came on the radio. He thought that he must be hearing things. “Elizabeth?”
Suddenly a young voice echoed from the background. “Tell him that we want him to stay, mom.”
“John we, I want you to stay.”
John thought his heart was going to burst open. It was pounding so hard in his chest that he could hardly think. Radioing for the ground crew to bring the portable steps, he rushed through the procedures to turn off the plane. Opening the hatch, he stared with amazement as Elizabeth and James were standing on the tarmac. Coming to the bottom of the stairs, he stopped. He didn’t really know what to do. Suddenly, Elizabeth put James hand into the security guy who was with them, and came running toward him. They met halfway, and fell into one another embrace.
“Oh John, please don’t go. I was wrong, I was wrong about everything.” Elizabeth pulled back. “I can’t bear to lose you again. Not after just getting you back into my life.” Before he could say anything, she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck and brought his head down for a kiss. Wrapping his own arms around her, John threaded his fingers through her hair and took over. This kiss was something he had dreamed about for years. It was as if the whole world dissolved away, and it was only them trying to merge their two bodies into one.
“People can see you!” James shouted from his spot on the side of the tarmac, breaking the effect.
Pulling away from each other, they both gave a little embarrassed laugh. Licking his lips, John looked from Elizabeth to James. “Are you sure about this?”
Taking his hand into hers, she started moving toward James. “Oh yes. We are both sure. Although James says that he is only okay with it if you buy him a car when he turns sixteen.”
“Wow, the kid has come up in the whole bribing game. I was able to buy him off with plastic wings just a few short weeks ago.” John laughed, and then let go of Elizabeth’s hand to catch James as he came flying towards them.
“Wow! Can you really fly that thing?” James asked pointing over John’s shoulder at the Cessna.
“John can fly anything.” Elizabeth chimed in as the security guard let them back into the terminal. “Flying is in his genes.”
Moving James to his other side, John wrapped his free arm around Elizabeth. “Flying might be in my genes, but you are in my heart.” They looked at each other for a beat, before Elizabeth snorted with laughter.
“That is such a cheesy line, John Sheppard!” Elizabeth said, and then leaned into his side. “Good thing I still like you.” And just like that John found himself with the family that he had only ever dreamed about.
“I think I just might be the luckiest man alive.” John said, as they all made their way out of the airport.
***
“Hey Cam,” John ran his hand through his hair, and then shoved his hands into his coat pocket. He was standing in front of Cameron Mitchell’s headstone, feeling like an idiot. “I’m not good at this sort of thing. I guess I am just here to say, thank you. Thank you for bringing Elizabeth and me together. I’m not sure I would have done the same, if I were in your shoes. Well, I guess we know who the better guy is.” John broke off and stared into the blue sky. It was a Kansas sky that went on forever. “Can you believe that I am going to live in Podunk, Kansas? I’m going to fly lame commuter planes between Manhattan and Kansas City.” Shaking his head at that, John again focused on Cam’s name. “I promise to take care of them. And to always remind James about what a good man his father was. I’ll make things up, so you look good. Scouts honor.” John held up his hand. John placed the flowers that he had brought with him in the little vase that Elizabeth had had built into the headstone. “Well, bye Cam.” Walking toward the car, John could see a rainbow in the distance. Glancing over his shoulder at the grave, John shook his head with a smile and then climbed into the car. “You always did need to have the last word, Mitchell.” Starting the car, John let out a content sigh. It was the beginning of a new life. The time of Elizabeth and John had come at last.