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“So, how did the visit with Halling go?” John asked, cutting Elizabeth a sideways glance as he prepped the jumper for departure. He had flown her to the mainland after she said she wanted to strengthen her relationship with the Athosian, but he had left the two of them alone to talk privately.
“He was surprised, but pleased to see me. I hope that, in time, we’ll build a deeper trust between us. Since Teyla joined your team, Halling has come into his own as a leader, and after our rocky start, I wanted to take the time to build a bridge between our people now that the immediate threat of a Wraith attack has passed and we’ve reestablished contact with Earth.”
John smiled and nodded. Elizabeth was a peacemaker at heart, and he admired that in her, even if the past year had forced them to focus on the war with the Wraith instead of on peaceful alliances with their neighbors.
“Teyla told me you checked with her first,” he said, lifting the jumper off the ground. The clearing where they’d parked fell away beneath them, giving way to fields of crops and the tents of the Athosian settlement. Then only the dark green canopy of the treetops remained below.
Elizabeth watched the shifting landscape as she answered. “I wouldn’t go behind Teyla’s back. She’s still the Athosian leader, after all, and the main intermediary between our people.”
“I got the impression she was pleased you included her in the decision to meet with Halling.”
“She was just as surprised as Halling that I wanted to come to the mainland instead of inviting him to Atlantis.” Elizabeth shrugged. “I think it helps to meet people on their own turf.”
There was also the fact that, with the Daedalus making supply runs between Atlantis and Earth, the expedition no longer depended on the Athosian crops as heavily as before. Elizabeth had told him she wanted to make sure Halling understood that they would honor their pledge to support the Athosians, who were otherwise cut off from every stargate. She could have sent that message through Teyla. Instead, she carved time out of her schedule and went herself.
Ahead of them, the ocean stretched to the horizon, and John steered the jumper toward Atlantis. Any minute now, they would leave the mainland behind.
“John, wait!”
The urgency in her voice jolted him, and he turned to her in alarm. “What is it? Did you forget something?”
She shook her head, hesitated, then admitted softly, “I don’t want to return to Atlantis just yet.”
John frowned and studied her. It wasn’t only what she said, but how she said it, the pause before she looked away. Something was off, though he couldn’t quite pin down what.
He nodded slowly. “Okay. What do you have in mind? Want to cruise around for a while?”
She considered it, eyes still on the view outside. “I want to stretch my legs a bit, I think.”
An idea clicked into place. “Then I know exactly where to take you.”
She lifted her eyebrows, and relief softened her face. Her shoulders settled back against the seat, and she gave him a small, grateful smile. “Thank you.”
***
Ten minutes later, he set the jumper down on a long stretch of beach on the south shore of the mainland.
“Here we are,” he said.
Elizabeth leaned forward to take in the view through the front window, and a small gasp escaped her. “Oh, that’s beautiful!”
Pleased by her reaction, he pressed one of the crystals, and the rear hatch opened. “C’mon. It’s even better outside.”
She followed him. As they stepped out, salty air rolled over them. A lush green forest bordered the beach to the left, its treetops swaying in the wind. Sunlit leaves flashed against the dark grey sky. Smooth white sand curved along the shoreline, framed by trees on one side and water on the other. The ocean’s surface reminded him of the color of her eyes, white foam riding toward shore as the waves washed over the sand in a hypnotic rhythm.
John looked up at the dark clouds racing overhead. “Looks like it’s going to rain soon,” he said.
Elizabeth drew in a deep breath and smiled contentedly. “It’s much warmer than I expected, though.”
Then she surprised him by untying her boots and kicking them off. Black socks followed, and then he found himself staring at her pale, slender feet and the dark red polish on her toenails. John swallowed. He’d never thought of himself as a foot fetishist, but he’d also rarely seen her in anything other than her uniform. The sight of those red toenails was exactly the wrong kind of image when he was already struggling to keep a professional distance. He rubbed the back of his neck and watched her roll her pants up to her knees before she stepped off the ramp and onto the beach.
When her feet touched the sand, she sighed, and John felt an unwelcome heat crawl up the back of his neck. Get a grip, Sheppard, he ordered himself. She glanced back and smiled.
“You’re coming?” she asked.
He nodded almost automatically. “Go ahead. I’ll be right behind you.” Just need a minute to cool off here, he added silently.
She shrugged and headed toward the water with a lightness he hadn’t seen in her for days. His gaze followed her. The wind tugged at her soft brown curls, and another image flashed through his mind of his own hand in her hair, tangling those curls, drawing her closer…. STOP! What was wrong with him? She’s your boss!, he reminded himself.
He shook off the thought, kicked off his own boots and socks, and followed her at an easy pace. She had already reached the water and waded in, foamy waves curling around her ankles. She lifted her arms and spread them wide, her head tipped back as she opened herself to the wind and sea – more mythical goddess than expedition leader.
Did she have any idea what she was doing to him?
Probably not.
When he came up beside her, she turned and gave him a soft, relaxed smile. That was when it clicked. Thinking back over the past few weeks on the Daedalus and the days since they’d returned to Atlantis, he was reminded of little moments that suddenly added up to one clear pattern. She had been withdrawn, quieter, more reserved than usual. Had something happened back on Earth?
Before he could stop himself, he asked, “Are you okay?”
Her eyes widened, then her brows drew together, as if she had to work out what had prompted the question. She turned toward the water and took a moment before answering quietly, “I am now.”
He frowned. So she hadn’t been before? He wanted to ask more, but he wasn’t sure what he’d be walking into, and she didn’t look ready to elaborate. They had always respected the invisible barrier between them; neither of them had ever crossed that line or brought the current running beneath it into the open. It was allowed to exist, unnamed and unspoken. Maybe that was for the best now, with the I.O.A. and the military breathing down their necks again.
Still.
Something made him move his hand just a little until it touched the back of her hand, just the lightest flutter of movement. Skin against skin. Just barely. He held still. Neither of them moved closer. Neither of them withdrew. Together they breathed in the sea air, together they watched the clouds race by.
Together.
It was enough.
For now.