You will
be
Author: wanderingsmith
May 2008
Summary: A talk at the end of The eye
Spoilers: The storm, The eye
Rating: PG13
Disclaimer: I ain't got no money, and nobody'd be daft enough to pay me
for this.
AN: Was on an Eye kick couple weeks or so ago and wrote this..
just didn't get around to finishing it ;)
Goto Chapter 2
Chapter one
In her office, as they waited for Rodney to give the final 'all clear'
to recall their people from the menaran homeworld, Elizabeth watched
the major stand an odd few feet away, not meeting her eyes. It
was so unlike the usually relaxed, not to mention forward man, that she
started to worry something was wrong, "Major, are you alright?"
He jumped slightly, eyes almost meeting hers for a second before they
skipped away again. When he didn't answer, she frowned, stepping
closer to him, earnest worry taking her as he tensed even more.
He finally blurted, "You pulled away."
She drew a shocked breath, "Major..."
He shook his head, hand slashing the air, starting to turn away
jerkily, mumbling to himself, "I shouldn't have killed them, I..."
"No! You had to. Atlantis had to be protected, it was your job..."
He turned his eyes to her, anguish for a moment visible, "But that's
not *why* I..." He looked away again, swallowing.
She touched his arm, gripping it when he tried to pull away, at a loss
what to say. Forced to remember the implications of what she'd
heard on the grounding station. That her life had been the
currency used to control the major. That he'd been told she was
dead. The stunned relief in his voice after he heard her
speak. The gloating in Kolya's as he used her as a shield.
"Listen to me. I thought I was going to die; was *willing* to die
at that point, to keep him from getting away. I'm *not*," she
pulled him closer, trying to get through to him, "*Not* afraid of you."
He looked at her again, still a startling mix of young uncertainty and
old world-weariness. As much as this hurt him, she was glad her
military arm wasn't a hardened killer; if he could only stay that way.
"*Not* ashamed of you either." Her reflexes said to reach up and
touch him, but they didn't have that... relaxed, physical, a
relationship. What relationship they *did* have was part of what
she'd pushed away earlier, telling herself she'd think about it when
this crisis was over and she had time to analyze... everything, and
decide.
For now, all she had to make him understand were her words and her
eyes. "John," his attention sharpened at her use of his
name. A good first step, "You saved my life today, several times
over. I'm sorry I..." she hesitated, looking for the words to
tell the truth without letting him misunderstand, "I was jumpy; it was
a general reaction. My *mother* could have reached for me and I'd
have recoiled at that point. Please," she squeezed his arm
in entreaty, "Believe me?"
She was deeply relieved when he nodded slowly and she felt him start to
un-tense. Before she could say more, they both heard Rodney
calling them, and the gate started to dial. He gave her a jerky,
hesitant smile, spreading his arm stiffly to invite her to precede him,
which she did with a final searching look. She hoped he would
give her a real smile soon.
Chapter two
Feb 2009
AN: B-day/timestamp
fic for momm2five, You Will Be - two hours later
Ford had stopped them to report that their prisoner was safely in a
cell and Elizabeth saw the awe in the young man's eyes, waiting until
they were alone again to lay a hand on John's arm and pull his
attention to her.
He was looking grim again and she could just imagine the darkness he
felt, being *admired* for something he felt was born of a weakness of
his.
Suddenly, she wanted to protect him; wanted to.. care for him, heal
him.
Maybe she *should* wait and think about this, wait until she wasn't so
strung out herself; but he needed the help *now* and she couldn't stand
to leave him drowning.
She stepped closer, sliding her hand to the back of his head and
standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheek chastely then pulled back just
enough to whisper fiercely, her eyes locked to his shocked ones, "I
would protect *you* if I could; if I had to I would *find* a way.
*Any* way that you needed. You are a *good* man."
When she heard the gate activate, she stepped away from him slowly,
shivering slightly at the way his eyes were watching her, knowing she'd
stepped over a line; though she knew that in his actions today he had
taken the same step. And again she acknowledged that they would
have to deal with all this one day, probably very soon. Seeing
him looking outward again instead of being bogged down in darkness was
enough to make her willing to take the consequences of her move.
He followed her quietly to her favourite lookout point over the
gateroom and they watched their people return, staggering their way to
the point of chatting and, yes, she admitted, flirting.
And Elizabeth finally got her reward for taking the greatest risk - his
smile.
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