Notes: Final chapter. It doesn't really end here and there will be one shots or other small multi-chap fics. They'll be at LJ or on Catch Me Kiss Again (which has moved to my own domain) as I guess people won't want to be bothered with them here. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading.

---

In the hours before their opening night, Elizabeth proved her worth as a beyond capable actress by somehow managing to portray Rose in the way both she and their director wanted and finding herself able of a constant stream of thoughts concentrated on 'the relationship' she claimed to oblivious to between herself and John.

Unfortunately it was mostly comprised of the words 'oh god' repeated over and over in a loop.

So. She had uttered the words 'love' and 'you' in the same sentence and clearly they had been directed at him. She briefly wondered if it still counted if you didn't place the word 'I' in front of said words. Or, erm…cried out words. Forcing herself to think back, she vaguely remembered a stunned and possibly confused look in his eyes for a moment, but neither of them had been genuinely interested in discussing it at the time, having been rather…distracted.

Had she meant it? She didn't know. She honestly didn't know. At the time she hadn't been thinking straight. How was she expected to be when he had been…god she hated how she still wanted him. But it wasn't just that. She wanted to spend time with him, she wanted to frighten him and be so so scared that she was afraid they were running away with themselves. Elizabeth had enjoyed being with him, even if he constantly kept her guessing and halting her own defensive behaviour at every turn. She liked John. She was sure she would have been friends with him even if there was nothing else. Good friends. He was a mystery. Like she knew she was to him. It just hurt so damn much to actually get anywhere beneath the surface…

They ran through the scenes together as if they were on auto-pilot. Barely thinking anything coherent, laughing and joking, screaming and crying as was required of them. Some of it was real, some of it was acting. Neither knew which was which.

---

She wasn't sure how the hours had flown by, but before she knew it, Elizabeth was waiting just off-stage, full make-up and costume in place. She whispered good-luck to the two children playing young Rose and Mark before they ran on, mid fight. Elizabeth stood with her eyes closed, absolutely still, listening to the echoing dialogue in the awing silence theatre. In a few short moments she would have to throw herself out onto the stage and try conning an audience into thinking not only that she was somebody else, but that she was the best and everything was fine. That she didn't have the dull beginnings of a headache and her knee wasn't killing her from chasing Sora and Heda through the theatre, laughing like she wasn't sure she was able. That it didn't hurt that she didn't dare look up at John, who stood beside her. As the dialogue between their 'younger selves' drew to a close, she adjusted her skirt and opened her eyes, feeling she looked ridiculous with her hair split into two ragged bunches, let alone the god awful colour of the eye shadow she wore. So she thought anyway.

John happened to think she looked rather…oh she'd kill him if he ever said it…cute.

He had no idea what to do. He thought he knew her on some level. Had thought he knew her quite well, despite what she thought and what she projected. He knew he had been unfair, that he wasn't willing to let her see everything in him that he claimed to see in her…but…that was different. Totally different story. He wasn't the one pushing her away. Maybe she was right. Maybe she was the perfect actress. He hated that he still hoped she wasn't. That she had been terrified and honest and, as she put it, as scared of him as he was of her.

He hated that she could still smile at him and make everything seem right with the world.

John held out his arm to her, "Shall we?"

She looped her arm through his and nodded, "Let's," Elizabeth replied, as they broke into a brief run that turned into a near fall as they entered the stage, "Mark! Mark, you're crazy! Stop, we're going to fall!"

"Guess you're right. Not like I can catch you like when we were kids anymore," he answered, taunting her.

"Just what are you implying?" Elizabeth rested her hands on her hips.

"…Lacking hand-eye co-ordination?" he tried.

She shot him a smile, "Nicely saved, Mr Fynn."

"Only one in the world," John grinned. He tilted his head and smiled fondly down at her, "Love you, Rosie."

"Love you too," she smiled brightly, "How can you not love a man who rescued you from spiders when you were ten?" the smile faded slightly, "We're getting old, Mark. Let's be kids again. Race you to my place!" she set off and ran from the stage, laughing.

He hesitated, remaining where he was, kicking an imaginary stone along the ground. John sighed and twitched his shoulders, "…I suppose I should be happy with any kind of love from you…" he said softly. John wandered off stage at a sedate pace, "Slow down, Rose, you really are making me feel old…"

Elizabeth watched as he walked right past her in the wings, looking away when he turned to look back at her. Feeling that she had least owed him the courtesy of looking him in the eye, she glanced back up to see he hadn't taken his eyes off her. She frowned slightly, unable to read the look on his face at all. Well…he did assume that she had been using him. Didn't think that she could possibly…

"Smile, Elizabeth," he implored, quietly.

Something in his tone somehow meant she couldn't refuse. No matter how much she wanted to. She met his gaze again and offered him a shaky smile, hesitant.

"…There you are…" John uttered, as if transfixed.

She would have replied, said anything to keep him there, even if she let out a stream of incoherent babble. Which, as a former diplomat, she was terrified of doing. Elizabeth opened her mouth to answer, then shut it instantly as they both raced off to wardrobe.

---

Half an hour into the play found Teyla on the back steps, in costume and fully made-up, sneaking a breath of fresh air for the twenty minutes she wasn't needed. She sat on the top step, glaring down the nearby alley at a lurking film crew, as if she could kill them where they stood.

Ronon stood by the door, "Know how you feel," he muttered.

"They do not belong here," she stated.

"Apparently they do. According to the laws of media," Ronon didn't sound amused.

"They are determined to hate us. And they are determined to uncover more on both Elizabeth and John."

"If it would do any good, I'd have harmed them already," he swore.

"I as well," Teyla nodded, "We must not do more damage," she stood up, straightening her long skirt and playing absently with the bangles on her wrist, "I believed the story line of this play to be…interesting. I did not expect lives to follow any sort of the same pattern," she laughed bitterly, "They say Mary is Mark's half sister. That they were never stable. That Mark loves Rose, she loves him, but she won't have him. That she lies to her only daughter, that Ben loves Mary and has never done anything about it…" she glanced upward, running a hand through her set hair, "We are all liars, Ronon. We are all false and we are all scared to death," she strode past him and yanked the door open.

"Teyla," he grabbed her arm. Ronon blinked and stared back at her when she turned to meet his gaze, "…Good luck."

She nodded, "…Thank you. I believe we all need it."

---

Elizabeth stared at the floor of the stage, glad that she could hide her fears in her character, that a slight slip-up wouldn't be considered a mistake on her part. She looked up and into John's eyes for a moment, hating the scene for everything it was, "We can't do this…we're just going round in circles, always circles. I can't lose you. And if we continue like this, one day we'll never speak to each other again…" Elizabeth's voice faltered a little, "…It hurts…it hurts and I can't trust myself…not when I'm with you…"

"And I can't trust myself when I'm not with you," John answered, gazing at her, not quite making eye contact.

"That's not my problem…" she answered in what she hoped was a defiant manner.

He started to advance toward her, "…Maybe so…" he gripped her shoulders, "…but I fell in love with my best friend…you wanted it too, and that is your problem…" he stopped, the lines between Rose and Elizabeth blurring. John shook his head slightly and tilted her head back to meet him, lowering his lips to hers, "…Tell me you don't love me…and I'll leave…"

Eyes glazed over, she was glad nobody could see her expression entirely. Detachment was the only way she could handle it. She forced her voice to comply with her demands, going from hesitantly gently to cold and defiant, "…I don't love you," she replied.

John released her, wishing he could shake her a moment for effect, but didn't trust himself. He exhaled sharply and turned from her, hands curling into fists as he strode from the stage.

Elizabeth gazed after him for a moment before she unwillingly and unconsciously mimicked her actions from the night the documentary was aired. She brought one fist to her mouth and let out a heart wrenching sob as the lights went down. It took her a second longer than usual to react, but she forced herself to move, and ran off the stage in the cover of darkness.

"Elizabeth!"

She jumped and nearly struck out at the figure that grabbed her arm. She recognised Carson's voice and then his face as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, "Carson, what's wrong?" she asked, almost panicked.

"Listen to me, love," he began, voice soft, "If ye love the man, none of us are against you. Who cares what the media might think? I've seen you happier these past few weeks than I've seen ye in a good while. You can'nae fake that. He'll only be here for four months. You want to spend that time like those last two weeks of performances with Simon? You're driven by emotion, lass, let yourself in on it…" he held her to him for a second before he vanished into the wings.

About to head further backstage to claim another change of costume, Elizabeth stopped dead almost as soon as she began as she set eyes on John again. Had he just…heard…had Carson done it deliberately? No, he wouldn't do such a thing. Surely. All she could do was stare until she forced herself to speak, "John…I-"

He shrugged slightly, "Maybe you did mean some of it after all…"

"All-" Elizabeth stopped herself, 'All of it…I think…' "All ready for the next scene?" her voice sounded weak even to herself. Damnit, get some control back, she cursed herself.

"Mark Fynn you get down here and talk to me this instant!" Teyla shouted from the stage.

"That's my cue," he smiled faintly at her, a forced smile, and ran out from backstage.

Bessie swore under her breath as she appeared from the maze of wardrobe and make-up, blinking, "God those people are lethal with eye-pencils," she paused, "…We good to go?"

Elizabeth nodded, "When they're finished," she nodded toward the stage.

The younger woman looked everywhere but at her colleague, taking a deep breath as she began to speak, "…I think that man might just love you…" she refused to make eye contact when Elizabeth glared sharply at her, "I found him asleep in his dressing room the other day. Muttered 'Beth' under his breath before I managed to wake him entirely."

"This isn't the time," she snapped, wincing as she heard how harsh she sounded.

"No, it isn't," Bessie replied, unfazed, "and the stage isn't the place for a real-life romance either," she tilted her head as she saw Teyla and John exit on the other side of the stage, "Let's go…" she sighed and plastered a child-like grin on her face before she ran out ahead of Elizabeth.

She was at least thankful that her rather confused and uncomfortable mood suited the scene.

---

It was over in a blur. The curtain dropped as she and John engaged in a passionate embrace, one she began as Rose and broke away from as Elizabeth. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, and so buried her head against his neck. She felt him shaking as he tightened his arms around her, from fatigue, stress…something else…she didn't know.

"…Elizabeth…"

"…I…meant…"

John shook his head, "…Don't say anything neither of can be certain of…" he said softly.

She formed a reply she didn't voice and merely nodded in reluctant agreement.

They both glanced up as the lights dimly began to come back on, and jumped apart, running to either side of the stage before they were caught.

"Rodney! Zelenka! Laura!" Aiden was heard yelling over the sudden riotous applause from the universe, "Get down here! Opening night, come get some cheers before the systems crash and the publicity fails and we have to shut you away somewhere!"

"Oh don't give them ammunition!" Lorne laughed.

Bessie grinned and shook her head, "It's good to be back!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, I think we've got a audience that'd like our presence!" Carson exclaimed from the other side of the stage, laughing with Teyla as she smiled broadly.

"We did it!" she exclaimed.

"You bet your ass we did," Rodney appeared beside them.

"Distasteful use of language," Zelenka muttered, unable to wipe the smile off his face.

"You tell 'em, Radek," Laura smirked.

From opposite sides of the stage, John and Elizabeth seemed strangely detached from the celebrations, smiling as they were hugged, Elizabeth briefly yelping as Rodney chose not only to hug her, but to lift her up and spin her round. John laughed and shoved Aiden and Bessie onto the stage when they almost missed their cue, until only he and Elizabeth remained backstage, gazing across at each other.

They walked out into the light and joined hands as they met, neither quite sure what it meant. The applause only continued as they joined their co-stars, uncertain smiles spreading across their faces.

Elizabeth glanced across at John, who suddenly shot her a brilliant smile. She let herself return it, then looked down at their joined hands. It still hurt. Somewhere deep inside, it hurt. But beneath the confusion and the pain she felt a spark as she looked up at him again, then out at their audience as they took a bow.

She just hoped she was strong enough to one day find out what that spark meant.

Fin