Authors Note – Here’s the final chapter, it seems strange to be ending this story when I’ve been writing it for so long. Thank you to those of you who have reviewed and stuck with me through this one, it was a long one lol. The trailer for part two is now on YouTube, the link is on my profile page.

Jammeke – Thanks for you review, I’m glad you enjoyed the last chapter and the sparky scenes in it. Last chapter now, I can’t believe this story is over but on to part two I guess lol. Thank you for all your reviews!

Steph – I’m glad I had you really absorbed, here’s next chapter as demanded and I hope you enjoy it, thanks for all your reviews.

Chapter 37

John sat in the infirmary holding onto Elizabeth hand as he had done for the past forty eight hours. He’d barely left her side and the others hadn’t been much different despite them telling him he needed to rest. They were all currently taking their own advice but he doubted it would be long before they were back.

The independence had seen the entire light show from orbit and had landed just a few feet away when it was over. They’d all been immediately brought on board and both Elizabeth and Teyla had been taken to the infirmary. Teyla was still unconscious as well and currently lying in the bed beside Elizabeth’s. Commander Dex had been arrested and was now in the cells aboard the ship. Teyla would be joining him when she recovered… if she recovered.

He tightened his hand on Elizabeth’s dreading the thought that she might not come through this. He desperately needed her to wake up and be alright and some part of him hoped that Teyla pulled through as well because it would destroy Elizabeth if she pulled through and Teyla didn’t.

A noise behind him alerted him to someone’s presence and John didn’t bother turning around to see who it was. They walked up to stand on the other side of Elizabeth’s bed. Carson quickly looked at Elizabeth’s vitals before taking her free hand in his own.

“Where’s Laura?” John asked quietly.

“Still asleep,” Carson replied and John nodded his head silently and then quickly moved his gaze to her hand. He’d imagined it, he had to have done, she wasn’t moving, she was still unconscious, but he was sure she’d just tightened her hand around his. Then she did it again and she took a deep breath and John knew he hadn’t imagined it and he quickly stood up without letting go of her hand.

“Elizabeth love, can you hear me?” Carson asked as he leaned over her and Elizabeth shifted her head slightly on the pillow as though she was struggling to regain consciousness. “Elizabeth?” Carson questioned again and Elizabeth finally opened her eyes only to close them again against the light.

John felt relief run through him and he smiled as he waited patiently for her to come around properly. She opened her eyes again more slowly and Carson gave her a smile as she seemed to register who he was. “Carson?” she asked dazedly and the doctor nodded.

“Aye love,” he replied as he started doing his usual doctor thing, checking her vitals and whatever else doctors did.

“John?” Elizabeth questioned after a moment and John stepped forward so she could see him. He could tell she hadn’t quite come around yet, she still looked confused and her eyes looked slightly vacant but she seemed to recognise him immediately because she relaxed once she could see him.

“Hey there,” he said as he used his free hand to brush her hair out of her face and she smiled sleepily at him.

“Hey,” she responded, her voice was quiet but he couldn’t even describe how relieved he felt to hear it. Carson finished his fussing and helped Elizabeth to drink the glass of water he gave her.

“I’m going to let the others know she’s awake,” Carson stated and then left John and Elizabeth alone. A few more seconds and Elizabeth seemed to get a firmer grasp on consciousness. “Is Teyla alright?” she asked.

“She hasn’t woken up yet,” he told her as he moved to sit on the edge of her bed keeping hold of her hand.

“Did we do it?” she questioned after a moment and John smiled as he smoothed her hair back affectionately.

“Yeah you did, the cloud was destroyed,” he informed her and she nodded her head. He saw relief flood through her on a similar level to what he was feeling.

“So it’s over, it’s done,” she whispered more to herself than to him “How long was I unconscious?”

“Two days, we’re on the Independence on our way back to Atlantis. Marcus and the others are all safely on board and the Venture is currently docked with this ship. We should be home in a few days,” he explained keeping it short and simple. He didn’t want to overload her brain just yet. “You had me scared,” he told her and she smiled slightly.

“I had me scared too,” she replied and he shook his head and returned her smile as he leaned down and kissed her briefly before sitting back up in time for Marcus to walk in.

“Hey, it’s good to see you finally awake, sleeping on the job while the rest of us are doing paper the work is just unacceptable,” Marcus stated as he walked around to the other side of the bed and Elizabeth smiled when she saw him. “How are you feeling?”

“Lousy,” she replied as Marcus quickly kissed her cheek.

A moment later Laura, Rodney and Carson walked in “It’s good to have you back with us,” Rodney said as he moved to stand beside Marcus.

“Finally, we can go shopping,” Laura said as she and Carson stood next to John.

“Just give me five minutes to change and I’ll be right with you,” Elizabeth replied and everyone laughed, clearly she was going nowhere anytime soon. After several minutes of talking Elizabeth started to look a little overwhelmed so Carson ordered everyone to leave. He looked at John as if deciding whether or not he was going to kick him out as well. Much to John’s relief the doctor merely picked up the data pad that was attached to the end of Elizabeth’s bed and headed over to the desk with it.

“You need to sleep,” John told her and she shook her head.

“I’ve done enough of that,” she protested not all too eager to do any more of it just yet.

“Coma and sleep are not the same thing,” he informed her.

“They feel the same to me,” she said and John could hear the small amount of fear in her voice. The first time he time he was in a coma, thankfully it had only been for a few days, he’d woken up and stubbornly clung to consciousness until the doctor had sedated him. After waking up only to realise he’d been unconscious for days the thought of going back to sleep again had been a scary one.

He knew Carson would probably lecture him for it later but he moved further onto the bed and lay down behind her. He placed one arm just beneath the pillow where she quickly rested her head and wrapped the other around her waist pulling her back against him.

“Go to sleep,” he whispered quietly and after a deep breath she did as instructed. It felt almost like the first night that he had kissed her, when he had simply laid down beside her as she slept. He hadn’t realised how tired he was until that moment and knowing that Elizabeth was okay, he allowed himself to sleep properly for the first time in over two days.

She could hear noises but couldn’t distinguish between them, couldn’t figure out what any of them were. When she finally opened her eyes she was met by the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling, a face moved into view and her foggy mind vaguely recognised it. It took her longer still to register that she was obviously in an infirmary and then her mind remembered the face, she’d seen it shortly before everything had gone dark, one of the people Elizabeth had been travelling with.

“I’m Doctor Beckett, do you understand me?” he asked and Teyla somehow figured out how to get her brain to communicate with her body, she nodded her head and opened her mouth to speak only for her voice to come out strained and weak.

“Yes,” she managed to say and the man nodded reaching for a glass of water and helping her to drink it. When she spoke again it was with a little more strength. “Where am I?”

“Alliance vessel, the infirmary,” he stated and Teyla decided that would explain the hateful looks she was getting from the few people that were hovering around.

“Where’s Ronon?” she questioned.

“In the cells.”

Teyla could only nod her head in understanding, they were both considered traitors to the Alliance; she couldn’t expect anything different. “Elizabeth?” she questioned.

“Woke up a few hours ago, she’s sleeping peacefully now,” the doctor told her before he deemed her to be out of danger and walked away. She looked around the room. Ignoring the stares she was receiving and her eyes fell on Elizabeth. She was asleep in the next bed, the agent that seemed to be her constant companion was asleep with her, laid down behind her with his arms wrapped tightly around her.

There was something about the scene that struck a cord with her, she’d seen them on the planet before she and Elizabeth had walked into the cloud. He really cared for her and he wasn’t in any way afraid to show it. Elizabeth had a life here; she had friends who cared for her and someone who loved her. She didn’t have that, she had Ronon but there relationship was more complicated than anything else. For the first time since this had begun she felt a touch of envy for the woman who had been her sister.

When John woke up the next morning he saw Teyla had finally woken up. She looked as tired as Elizabeth had yesterday and he guessed it wouldn’t be long before she went back to sleep again. Elizabeth was still asleep next to him and he didn’t want to wake her up so he stayed where he was.

Carson was still wondering around and he wondered if the doctor had even left. He felt Elizabeth shift beside him and knew that she too was awake now so he allowed himself to move into a more comfortable position. “Teyla,” Elizabeth said realising the woman was awake and Teyla gave her a small smile in response. It seemed something of the way they used to be, of the bond they’d once shared, had survived the last five months.

“Oh, you two are awake then,” Carson said as he came over “John, do I even need to tell you?” the doctor asked.

“Don’t sleep on the patient’s bed, got it,” John replied and Elizabeth smiled as she turned over onto her back and John pulled his arm free.

“You’re looking much better this morning,” Carson told her and Elizabeth nodded.

“I feel better.”

“Good, I had Laura bring you a change of clothes, she told me to tell you the two of you desperately needed to go shopping and you’re not allowed to choose your own stuff,” Carson informed her and Elizabeth gasped in fake shock and hurt. “There’s a bathroom just through there, if you need help just ask one of the nurses.”

“Okay,” Elizabeth said as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

“I’m gonna go and get cleaned up too. I’ll be back in about an hour,” John told her as he jumped down from the bed and pulled on the boots he’d discarded during the night. He kissed Elizabeth quickly before he left the room well aware of Teyla watching them.

He went back to the room he’d been given aboard the Independence; he’d hardly been in here at all over the past few days. He located some fresh clothes and showered and changed before heading to the cafeteria to eat. He didn’t linger there for long, he had one more thing he needed to do before he went back to the infirmary.

He walked into the cells aboard the Independence to find Ronon sitting on the bed in his cell. He looked up when he heard John approach and slowly stood up to walk over to bars.

“I just though you’d want to know,” John began “Teyla’s awake and she’s gonna be fine.”

John saw the relief that the other man tried to hide, he knew there was more to his relationship with Teyla than simply a commander and teacher. “Why are you telling me?” Ronon asked genuinely surprised that John had taken the time to bother.

He was doing it because he knew that had their roles been reversed and he’d ended up stuck in a cell whilst Elizabeth fought for her life, he would have wanted to know. He would have needed to know that she was okay and not knowing would have driven him mad. “Because we both care,” was the only response John gave, cryptic yet accurate and John walked out of the cells and back to the infirmary.

The Independence had returned to Earth a few days ago, Elizabeth and Teyla had both fully recovered. Rodney was glad to be back in the relative safety of his lab though it was obvious he missed all the action just a little bit. They’d all been given a week off and John intended to enjoy every minute of it. It was the most time he’d ever had free in his life.

Ronon and Teyla had been arrested for treason, a crime punishable by death. However since they had both helped in the destruction of the dark cloud the Alliance had shown a little leniency and neither had been sentenced to death. They had however been given life in prison and were both now in separate jails on Atlantis.

Life was slowly settling into some element of normalcy and for that John was grateful because he knew that was what Elizabeth needed right now.

They were all enjoying an afternoon at the beach; Elizabeth and Laura were currently floating around in the water. Marcus had just destroyed the sand castle Rodney had been building and was now making a beeline for the water with Rodney in pursuit. Carson was making his way over to where Elizabeth and Laura were floating away and John thought for a moment that maybe they were floating too far out.

He stood up from where he’d been lounging on the beach and walked across the sand to the water. They had the beach entirely to themselves which was a welcome surprise but then this was a relatively quiet area of the coast anyway. He walked straight into the water and when he was far enough he dived in. The water wasn’t freezing but it wasn’t warm either and it took his body a moment to get used to it. He swam over to Elizabeth who was further out than he’d realised she was.

She smiled as he approached and immediately wrapped her arms loosely around his neck as his hands went to her waist.

“Enjoying yourself?” he asked and she smiled brightly.

“Yeah, I really am,” she replied as she leaned forward and kissed him deeply.

“Oh please,” they heard Laura say but they ignored her and only vaguely registered her and Carson swimming away and leaving them their privacy. John finally broke off the kiss and leaned his forehead against Elizabeth’s as they heard Rodney complain about having his head dunked under water.

The Alliance Council sat around the semi circular table in the large room. Their voices echoed slightly off the bare walls.

“The cloud was destroyed as the prophesy stated.”

“Though the journey was not as we expected.”

The councillors stared at the hologram in front of them, the text scrolled by repeatedly and they read it every single time.

“We did not see that Emmagan would join the Vernai.”

“We cannot afford to be so ignorant again.”

They continued to read the text as it passed by, they would not be caught unawares again.

“We only know one thing for sure.”

“It is far from over.”

THE END.

Authors Note – Once again thank you to my reviewers, you guys are awesome and don’t forget to check out the trailer for part two on my profile page. Part two should be up soon!