Title: These Dreams
Pairing: McWeir
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Rodney has recurring dreams about him and Elizabeth. 
Status: WiP	
Disclaimers: Don’t own them, wish I did.




Chapter One



He stared at her in the dim light, his heart racing.  She lied 
on his bed completely naked.  She smiled at him as she sat up, 
giving him a wonderful view of her breasts.  He swallowed, 
trying to wet his suddenly dry throat.

“Rodney,” she whispered as she moved off the bed.  His heart 
skipped a beat at the sight of her.  He tried to move, but he 
was rooted to the spot.  All he could do was stare at her, 
amazed she was even here.

“Elizabeth,” he whispered as she wrapped her arms around his 
neck.  His last thought was of how she even got into his room 
before she brought his head down for a searing kiss.  He wrapped 
his arms around her, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss. 

His hands moved slowly up her body to caress her breasts.  Her 
moan caused his arousal to grow and a fire to rage inside him. 

It was almost too much for him, but he held himself at bay.  
This was a dream come true and he didn’t want to ruin it.  He 
cared too much for her to rush this. 

Elizabeth quickly removed his shirt and set her hands exploring.  
Her touch set him ablaze and he sucked in a breath.  She kissed 
her way down his body, his mind reeling from the sensory 
overload.  She pushed down his pants and underwear as she took 
his mouth once again.  

Rodney was finally able to move as he stepped out of his pants.  
He slowly walked her toward the bed, never removing his lips 
from hers.  He lay her down on the bed, trailing kisses down her 
body, stopping at a breast.  He took it into his mouth, causing 
her to gasp and arch against him.  He swirled his tongue around 
it then turned to her other breast, repeating the process.  He 
smiled as her gasps became low moans of pleasure.  

He rose onto his knees and his gaze roamed over her body, taking 
her in.  Her dark hair fanned out on the pillow.  Her skin was 
lit by the bedside lamp, giving her a golden glow.  He couldn’t 
get over the fact she was here, with him.

Elizabeth pulled him down for a kiss that nearly sent him over 
the edge.  He moaned into it as his hands moved down her body.  
He stared into her eyes as he slowly entered her, taking in 
their darkening.

“Elizabeth,” he whispered as he slowly began to move inside her.

He increased his pace and she matched his thrusts.  The tension 
coiled within his stomach, tightening its grip.  She moaned his 
name as her fingers dug into his back.  Rodney’s heart soared as 
he stood on a cliff.  The inferno which had been building 
between them engulfed him.  She cried out his name, both of them 
falling off the edge. 

Rodney shot up in bed, his heart racing and his face wet with 
sweat.  He stared around his room, taking in the quiet darkness.  
He breathed heavily as the last vestiges of the dream slowly 
disappeared.

“Not again,” Rodney moaned as he placed his face in his hands.  
It was the fifth time in a week he’d had the dream.  Ever since 
he had given her the book he had written about her.  

He sighed and leaned back against the pillows.  He had no idea 
what to make of these dreams.  He knew he had feelings for her.  
He had tried to hide them, even going so far as to create a 
world full of blonde women, to no avail.  His heart lay with 
Elizabeth and obviously so did a much lower body part. 

Rodney couldn’t deny it any longer.  He wanted Elizabeth, the 
only question was: did she want him?











Chapter Two




Rodney stepped into the mess hall and his eyes immediately 
sought out Elizabeth.  He saw her sitting with Sheppard and 
Teyla.  He sighed as the three laughed at whatever John had 
said.  He grabbed a tray and placed food upon it.  He carried 
the tray to the nearest table and sat down, facing Elizabeth. 

He had no idea when he took it upon himself to watch Elizabeth.  
They were hardly out of each other’s presence and even then, he 
thought about her.  He sighed again and stared at his food.

Maybe I should talk to Kate, he thought as he pushed his fork 
around on a plate of eggs.  Maybe she’ll give me some advice on 
what I should do.

Rodney laughed to himself.  She’ll probably tell me to talk to 
Elizabeth and tell her how I feel.  That would go over real 
well.

He shook his head and dug into his eggs.  He watched Elizabeth 
as she drank her coffee and laughed with her friends. 

~*~

“So you’ve been having dreams about Dr. Weir,” Kate said matter-
of-factly.

Rodney rolled his eyes.  “Yes, I believe I’ve stated that. What 
do I do about it?”

“How long have you been having them?”

Rodney sighed and thought coming here was a bad idea.  He hated 
seeing a shrink, but he needed someone to talk to. Someone who 
wasn’t going to pass it around Atlantis for their entertainment. 

“About a week,” he answered as he slumped in the chair across 
from the doctor.  He stared at her, hoping and daring her to say 
something.

“And they’re sexual in nature?”

Rodney fought the urge to roll his eyes.  This was getting 
ridiculous.  What was she fishing for anyway?

“Yes, very sexual in nature,” he snapped, sitting forward and 
glaring at her.  “Can we move on to the part where you tell me 
what to do or give me something for it?”

Kate smiled as she wrote something down in her notes.  He had a 
sudden impulse to rip the paper away from her and see what she 
had written.  He knew it wouldn’t get him anywhere, so he 
resisted. 

“I’m sure you’ve already figured that out for yourself,” she 
said, looking at him.  “It doesn’t take a psychiatrist or a 
genius to know you feel something for Dr. Weir.”

“Thank you for clearing that up,” Rodney grumbled as he folded 
his arms across his chest and leaned back into the chair.  “Care 
to tell me how to fix it?”

“You can’t stop dreaming, Rodney,” Kate said softly.  “And it’s 
not good for you to keep yourself from sleeping.  You can either 
tell Elizabeth how you feel or let these dreams continue to 
plague you.”

Rodney stared at the floor.  He didn’t want to tell Elizabeth 
how he felt.  He wanted to know how she felt, but he didn’t.  
What if she didn’t feel the same?  What if she did and he didn’t 
know how to handle it?  He sighed, feeling lost.

“I need to think about this,” he said as he stood.  “Figure out 
how to tell her.”

“Don’t take too long,” Kate said, smiling.  “She might not wait 
forever.”

Rodney walked out the door, still wondering if it was a good 
idea to talk to Kate.  He didn’t feel any better. If at all, he 
was more confused and uncertain than before.  He hated feeling 
like this and decided to take his mind off his dreams by 
working. 

Rodney stepped into the lab and sat at his desk, opening his 
laptop.  He glanced at the coffee pot and saw it was empty.  He 
grumbled about no coffee as he got up and made a pot. 

“Ah, the workaholic has arrived.”

Rodney turned to see Radek enter the lab.  He barely glared at 
the man before turning back to the coffee maker.

“I’m not a workaholic, Radek,” he said as he returned to his 
laptop.

“That differs from opinion of everyone on Atlantis.”

“Says you,” Rodney said as he stared at the screen. 

Radek said nothing as the two got to work.


~*~


It was well past lunch and Rodney was still working.  He moved 
between his laptop and the various screens scattered through out 
the lab.  He stumbled over cables and cords twice, cursing 
everything under the sun afterwards.  

He sat down hard in his chair and ran a hand through his hair.  
His hand came away wet and he griped in irritation.  He had been 
so focused on getting things done, he had forgotten to eat.  He 
glanced at his watch and cursed again.  It was well past the 
lunch hour and his body was letting him know it.  A wave of 
nausea washed over him nearly causing him to vomit.  

Grumbling, Rodney saved his work on his laptop and jogged out of 
the lab.  He nearly ran to the mess hall, hoping there would be 
something to eat. 

He burst through the doors barely letting them open to find the 
room almost empty.  He hurried toward the food and saw there was 
still some left.  He sighed in relief and dished some onto a 
plate.  He turned and saw Elizabeth sitting alone, reading what 
he could only guess were reports.  Her hair brushed the 
shoulders of her red shirt.  A plate of food was placed to her 
left untouched.  A mug of coffee was in her right hand, the 
reports in her left.

Warmth flooded Rodney’s cheeks as he remembered the dream from 
last night. She had looked so beautiful in his dreams, yet 
nothing could compare to how she looked now.  He couldn’t take 
his eyes off her as his heart raced, threatening to break out of 
his chest.  He took a deep breath to calm himself and forced his 
feet to take a step.

Before he knew it, Rodney stood near Elizabeth’s table. She 
looked up and his heart nearly stopped at the sight of her green 
eyes.

“Rodney, how are you?” Elizabeth asked, putting her reports 
down.

“Starving,” Rodney said as he sat down without her asking. “I 
hadn’t had anything since breakfast.” He dug into his meal 
barely noticing Elizabeth’s wide-eyed expression.

“I take it you missed lunch,” she said calmly.

Rodney stopped chewing and stared at her.  He swallowed 
painfully and looked at his food.

“I wasn’t watching the time,” he said, meeting her gaze.  “I was 
so busy with everything, I let it slip by.”

Elizabeth shook her head and he wondered what she must be 
thinking.  He stared at his food again, trying to come up with 
something to say, but she beat him to it.

“I don’t want you to start neglecting your health, Rodney,” she 
said, getting his attention.  

“Believe me, I’m not. I don’t like passing out anymore than the 
next person.  I just got carried away.”

Elizabeth smiled, sending a rush of emotions through him.  He 
wanted to pull her over the table and kiss her right then.  It 
took all his control to stop himself. 

“Do you need to be reminded to eat?”

Rodney glared at her.  “I know when to eat, Elizabeth.  I don’t 
need a babysitter.”

Elizabeth smiled again and took a sip of her coffee.  He sighed 
and returned to eating.  He doubted going back to work would 
keep his mind off Elizabeth.  Maybe a cold shower would do the 
trick.




Chapter Three





Rodney shot up in bed, sweating.  He ran a hand through his wet 
hair, trying to catch his breath.  He groaned as he lied back 
down on the pillows, the erotic dream slowly leaving his memory.  
He closed his eyes and sighed.  

I can’t keep this up, he thought as the image of a naked 
Elizabeth floated before his mind.  

Rodney climbed out of bed and headed into the bathroom for a 
cold shower.  The water hitting his skin woke him instantly and 
all images and thoughts of Elizabeth fled his mind.  In fact, he 
thought of nothing as he quickly washed himself.

Feeling better, he climbed out of the shower and got dressed.  
Wanting a cup of coffee crept into his mind and he headed toward 
the mess hall.

The mess hall was nearly empty at this time of the morning which 
Rodney was grateful for.  He headed toward the food, piling eggs 
and bacon onto a plate.  He poured himself a cup of much needed 
coffee and headed for a table.  He sat near the windows, but 
faced the doorway. 

Rodney was half-way through his breakfast when his skin tingled.  
He looked up to see Elizabeth enter the mess hall.  He watched 
her as she got her food and coffee.  She turned around and 
caught his gaze.  He froze as she headed toward him.  The bright 
smile she sent him caused a fire to spark within him.  His heart 
rate increased as she sat across from him.

“Morning,” Elizabeth said.  “You’re up early.”

Rodney blinked himself out of his trance and shook his head.  
“I’m always up early.”

Elizabeth smiled as she sipped her coffee and he wished he was 
in its place.  He turned his gaze to his food only to wonder 
where his appetite went.  He wanted her so much that even his 
stomach gave up the fight.  He closed his eyes and sighed.

“Something wrong, Rodney?” Elizabeth asked, her voice filled 
with concern.  

Rodney looked up and saw the worry in those green eyes.  He 
couldn’t deny it any longer.  He had to tell her what he felt 
about her and hoped she wouldn’t run in the other direction.  He 
opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow and Rodney tried again. 

“I have to go,” he said instead.  He rose from his chair and 
practically ran for the doors.

Elizabeth stared at the empty place Rodney had just vacated.  
He’d been acting strangely for the past week and she was 
concerned.  More than concerned, she was worried.  Normally, she 
was able to read him like a book.  She knew when he was in a bad 
mood even if he tried to hide it.  She knew something was wrong, 
but she couldn’t put her finger on it.  

She sighed and sipped her coffee.  She had to get him to tell 
her what was bothering him.  If there was one thing she was good 
at, it was getting people to talk.

“Good morning, Dr. Weir.”

Elizabeth looked up to see Kate standing beside her.  She smiled 
at the doctor and motioned for her to sit beside her.

“Who was sitting there?” Kate asked, nodding toward Rodney’s 
untouched food.

“Rodney,” she answered as she sighed.  “Something’s wrong with 
him and I don’t know what it is.  He’s never bolted from me 
before for just asking a question.”

Kate raised an eyebrow.  “What did you ask him?”

“I asked him what was wrong.  He was about to answer, but he ran 
for the door instead.  He’s never been afraid to answer a 
question before, not even from me.”

“Maybe he’s afraid of how you’ll react to the answer,” Kate 
suggested.

Elizabeth stared at Kate.  “How does he think I’ll react?”

“I have no idea, but he needs to get over it and soon.”

Elizabeth realized then that Rodney had seen Kate about his 
problem.  She sighed.  It must be bad if it caused him to go to 
a psychiatrist. 

“Poor Rodney,” she whispered.  “I wish there was something I 
could do.  I can try to force it out of him, but that would only 
make him clam up more.”

“Hopefully, he’ll tell you before that happens,” Kate said with 
a smile.

“One can hope,” Elizabeth answered, already making plans to get 
Rodney to open up to her. 


~*~

Rodney headed into the lab, picked up a beige colored cube and 
sat in front of his laptop.  He stared at the cube, a little 
bigger than a Rubix cube. Ancient writing was on one side.  He 
ran his thumb over the writing, wondering what the words could 
mean.  He set the cube to one side and stared across the room, 
drumming his fingers on the table.

“We need to talk,” Elizabeth’s voice startled him.

Rodney looked up as she stepped into the room, a look of 
determination in her eyes.  He sat back as she closed the gap 
between them. 

What did I do now?  Rodney thought as she stood before him.

“About what?” He asked casually as he turned his attention to 
the cube.  He picked it up, turning it around in his hands.

“Whatever is bothering you, Rodney, I want to know,” she said, 
her voice brooking no argument.

Rodney sighed and tossed the cube onto the table.  He looked up 
at her, trying to gauge the best course of action.  He knew he 
couldn’t lie to her and say there was nothing wrong.  She had 
the ability to see through him and know his moods.  He sighed 
and stood, the cube forgotten. 

“I’ve had some dreams,” he told her slowly, testing her 
reaction.

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow as she folded her arms across her 
chest.  “What about?”

Like I’m going to tell you, Rodney thought.  Instead, he said.  
“Let’s just say, I have to take a cold shower when I wake up.”

Her eyes widened and her face flushed. He felt his own skin warm 
at her expression.  For some reason, an embarrassed Elizabeth 
Weir was very arousing.  Wanting to hide his growing arousal, 
Rodney moved away from her and paced. 

“Ok,” she said calmly, clearing her throat.  “It obviously isn’t 
affecting your work, so why are you bothered by them?  Everyone 
has those types of dreams.”

“Five times in a week?” Rodney asked, staring at her.  
“Elizabeth, I have one nearly every night.  I had one last night 
to be exact.”

Elizabeth cleared her throat again and looked away.  Rodney 
wanted to comfort her, but he knew it would only cause him to 
kiss her.  He turned away and paced again.

“Who is she, Rodney?”  

Rodney stopped pacing and stared at her, his eyes wide.  Why did 
she have to ask him that?  Her expression was blank, but he knew 
she wanted to know.  He wanted to tell her it was her he dreamed 
of, but he was afraid of her reaction.  He wanted to hold her 
and tell her he loved her.  

Wanting something to distract him, he went to the table and 
picked up the cube.  He turned it over in his hands mulling over 
what the words said.

“What is it?” Elizabeth asked as she stepped closer to him.

Her nearness distracted him for a moment, but his brain quickly 
shifted gears. 

“This cube that was brought back had some writing on it,” Rodney 
said, handing her the cube.  

“And what does it say?”  Elizabeth asked, a smile in her voice.  
Warmth spread through him at the sound.  He pushed his arousal 
down and concentrated on the cube in her hands.

“For love unspoken,” Rodney answered.  He had expected an 
experiment or even a key to some riddle, but this?  The 
expression on Elizabeth’s face changed to wistful. “What?”

“Looks like the Ancients had a romantic side,” Elizabeth placed 
a hand on his shoulder.  Warmth spread though him at the touch.  
He closed his eyes, wanting to take her in his arms.  He fought 
the urge and looked at the cube.

“I’ve been trying to figure out what they meant by that,” Rodney 
said as he picked up the cube.  He turned it in his hand.  
“Except for these words, it’s not much to look at.  Was it 
supposed to be a gift to someone?”

Elizabeth took the cube from him, their fingers brushing against 
each other.  A jolt of electricity went through him and he 
quickly pulled away.  He glanced at her as she stared at the 
cube in surprise.  She looked at him, her eyes wide.

“You felt that?” Rodney asked.

“Yes,” she whispered, glancing at the cube. 

He cleared his throat as a wave of uncertainty washed over him.  
He looked at anything, but her as his pulse raced. 

“You can keep it,” he said softly.  “I can’t do anything with 
it.”

“Thanks,” Elizabeth said. “I’ll let you get back to work.”  She 
headed for the door, but stopped before she went through it.  
She looked at him, concern for him in her expression.  “Don’t 
let the dreams get to you, Rodney.  They’ll go away in time.”

Rodney shook his head as she left.  “I doubt it.”







Chapter Four




He stood over her, his eyes dark with arousal.  His gaze on her 
warmed her skin like fire. Her heart sped and her breathing 
quickened as he ran a hand lightly along her naked body.  She 
gasped at the touch and arched her back, wanting more. She 
closed her eyes as his hands buried themselves in her hair.  The 
touch sent every nerve in her body tingling. 

Elizabeth moaned as she felt the touch of his lips on hers.  She 
opened her mouth for him and his tongue slipped inside.  She 
wrapped her arms around him, pulling him against her.  She ran 
her hands down his back and around his waist.  She grabbed the 
end of his shirt and pulled it over his head, tossing it to the 
floor.  She deepened the kiss as her hands explored his chest. 
 Her lips explored his neck as she removed his pants which joined 
his shirt on the other side of the bed.  She ran her hands 
through his hair as he joined her on the bed.  He slowly entered 
her, sending waves of pleasure through her.  She closed her eyes 
and let the sensations take over as he began to move.  She 
wrapped her legs around his waist, sending him deep inside her. 
      
He increased his pace and she matched his thrusts.  The tension 
coiled within her stomach, tightening its grip. Her heart soared 
as she stood on a cliff.  The inferno which had been building 
between them engulfed her.  
      
 “Rodney!” Elizabeth cried as she woke, sweating. She sat up in    
bed, breathing hard. She ran a hand through her hair as the 
dream slowly faded from her mind. 
      
“What was that?” 
      
~*~

Rodney stared at the landscape around him.  The sound of a 
waterfall drifted toward him as a gentle breeze rustled through 
the trees bringing the scent of roses.  The grass surrounding 
him glittered purple when the setting sun hit it.  It was a 
paradise and a perfect place for a picnic. 

“Let’s move out,” Sheppard said as he led the way toward the 
forest. 

Rodney sighed and followed the group.  He had avoided Elizabeth 
this morning, having only a Power Bar for breakfast.  He had no 
idea what to say to her after their mutual jolting from the 
cube.  He knew it meant something, but at this point he didn’t 
know nor care.  He’d had another dream last night, even more 
vivid than the night before.  

The planet they were on was barely inhabited.  A small town of 
farmers only numbered a hundred.  This mission didn’t really 
require him to be here, but he considered a break from the lab 
necessary.  He also wanted to clear his head. 

The forest was cooler, the thick canopy blocking the sun.  Some 
rays poked through lighting the floor in places.  Birds sang 
high above the four as they moved deeper into the forest.  A 
multi-colored bird flew in front of Rodney, startling him.  The 
bird squawked as it dived into a bush.  The bush rustled 
violently then the bird flew out, carrying something in its 
talons. 

“Where exactly are we going?” Rodney asked as he jogged to catch 
up to the others.

“The village is on the other side of this forest,” Teyla 
answered.  “They will put us up for the night while we explore 
the area.”

“How nice of them,” Rodney said as he took out his life signs 
detector.  He turned it on and almost at once, dozens of dots 
shown up on the screen.  The town wasn’t too much further which 
was good as far as he was concerned. 

The township was more than he expected as they stepped out of 
the forest.  Mud and wood houses were scattered through out the 
large clearing.  People dressed in browns and reds milled about, 
carrying or pushing various food.  The smell of cooking meat 
drifted toward Rodney causing his stomach to growl. 

Three people dressed in white came toward them, cautious smiles 
on their faces.

“Teyla,” a man with long white hair said, his arms outstretched.  
“How nice to see you again.  It has been many years.”

“Many years, Eland,” Teyla said as the man embraced her.  “These 
are my friends.  We are hoping that you will set us up for the 
night while we explore the area.”

“Why would you need to explore the area?” The man said as he 
looked the group over.  “We can tell you all you need to know.”

“There might’ve been something you overlooked,” Rodney put in, 
earning looks from everyone.  

“We will provide beds for the night,” Eland said.  “We do not 
know what you expect to find here, since we have been over the 
entire area, but you are more than welcome to search.”

“Thank you,” Teyla said with a slight bow. 

“This way,” Eland said, smiling.  He led the group deeper into 
the town and Rodney took in the sights around him.  The people 
appeared to be friendly, smiling and nodding as they walked by.  

They passed a blacksmith’s shop, the sound of metal on metal 
rang in Rodney’s ears.  Vendors shouted their wares, everything 
from fish to fruit.  His stomach growled again and he stopped at 
a vendor selling what looked like apples. Their redness called 
to him and his mouth watered.

“How much?” Rodney asked as he stared at one shiny red fruit. 

“McKay!” Sheppard yelled back to him.  

Rodney rolled his eyes as John jogged up to him.  “I was just 
getting something to eat.  I’m starving.”

“You can wait a bit longer,” John said.  “Let’s go.”

“Great.  If I pass out, it’ll be on your head,” Rodney grumbled 
as he followed Sheppard back to the group.

“You won’t pass out,” John said.

“Is everything all right?” Eland asked as they rejoined the 
group.

“Just fine,” John answered, causing Rodney to roll his eyes. 

“It is not much farther,” Eland said, continuing down the street 
they were on.  “It was just built two years ago.  It has been 
used by our farmers who live on the outskirts of our township. 
I’m sure the innkeeper will not mind putting you up for the 
night.”

“Thank you, Eland,” Teyla said again. “We are very grateful.”

The inn was on the end of the street off by itself.  It was 
small, only one story.  It appeared sturdy being made mostly of 
bricks of mud and a thatched roof.  Two poles topped with 
torches stood in front of the building. 

They stepped inside the lobby which was lit by small sconces on 
the walls.  A fireplace in front of them was burning; the scent 
of cooking food came from a cauldron placed above the fire. 
Rodney’s stomach growled again as a middle-aged man came up to 
them. 

“Eland, what have you brought me?” The man said, practically 
beaming.

“A few friends who want to stay the night,” Eland said.

“You’re in luck, for I have two rooms available,” the man said.

“We’ll take them,” John said as he glanced at the group.

“Can we get some food with those rooms?” Rodney asked.





















Chapter Five




“Elizabeth!” Rodney shouted as he sat up in bed, covered in 
sweat.  He glanced around the unfamiliar surroundings, the moon 
spilling into the room from one window.  His gaze fell on John 
Sheppard staring at him as if he had lost his mind. 

“Oh, crap,” he whispered and plopped back against the pillows. 

“What the hell was that?” Sheppard asked.

Rodney closed his eyes and wished the floor would open up and 
swallow him.  The last thing he wanted was to tell John about 
his very erotic dreams about Elizabeth.  The man would probably 
either laugh or kill him; neither which sounded good to Rodney. 

“You don’t want to know,” he said instead and hoped that was 
enough. Obviously it wasn’t for when Rodney opened his eyes, 
Sheppard still stared at him with an expression of impatience. 

Great, Rodney sighed and sat up.  How am I going to explain this 
one? 

“Was it a nightmare?” John asked.

Rodney laughed. “Quite the opposite, really.”

John raised an eyebrow and Rodney felt his face become warm.  
The scientist looked away, but it was too late.  John had seen 
it. 

“Don’t tell me it was one of those dreams?”

Rodney would have laughed at John’s paling expression if it 
wasn’t directed at him.  Again, he wanted the floor to open up 
and put him out of his misery.  

“I’ve had it nearly everyday for over a week,” he said quietly.  

John cleared his throat uncomfortably.  “Have you told her?”

Rodney stared at John.  “Are you kidding me?  I’ve only told her 
it was a dream, not who it was about.  I don’t have that great 
of a death wish.”

“I doubt she’d kill you, Rodney.”

“No, but it’d be close enough and I don’t want to give her that 
chance.”

John sighed and tossed his legs over the edge of his bed. “If 
you have feelings for her, McKay, then tell her.”

Rodney ran a hand through his hair. When had this gotten so 
complicated? 

“I can’t tell her,” he said with a sigh of his own. “What if she 
doesn’t feel the same way?”

“You’ll never know otherwise. It’ll continue to eat at you if 
you don’t.”

Rodney said nothing. He knew he should tell her, but the 
possibilities of how she’d react were too much for him. He knew 
he wouldn’t be able to take it if she threw it in his face.  

“Do you think you can work?” John asked calmly.

Rodney nodded and got out of bed.  He quickly dressed and 
stepped out of the room.  Ronon stood in the hallway, his arms 
across his chest. The taller man stared at him, an eyebrow 
raised.

“Heard you shout,” Ronon said softly.  “Nightmares?”

Is everyone interested in my love life? Rodney thought 
irritably.  “Yes, nightmares. What’s for breakfast?”

Ronon snorted and pushed himself from the wall.  He turned and 
headed down the hall.  Rodney shook his head and followed the 
tall man as John and Teyla left their rooms.  They entered the 
main room and the smell of food filled Rodney’s nose. He 
breathed it in and his mouth watered. 

“Ah, you’re awake,” the innkeeper said as they entered the room.  
“Come. Sit. Eat.”

The innkeeper motioned toward a nearby wooden table and the 
group sat around it. Plates were placed in front of them as a 
maid dished out some food from a cauldron. Rodney eyed the food 
with suspicion even though it smelled like heaven. 

“What is this?” He asked as he poked at it with a fork. 

“It is a specialty of mine,” the innkeeper replied.  “It is a 
mixture of Rotan eggs, sausage and beef.”

Rodney watched as the others devoured it like ravenous wolves.  
He tasted a small portion of the gruel and was pleasantly 
surprised. He smiled slightly and dug in. 

An hour later, the group left the inn and headed through the 
township.  The sun was barely in the sky and people were already 
out shopping and selling.  

The morning breeze was calming to Rodney, soothing away the 
vivid images of the dream.  He didn’t think he could take much 
more of these dreams before they began to impinge on his job.  

They left the town and headed away from the rising sun.  Rodney 
brought up the rear, his laptop balancing on his left arm.  He 
stared at the screen as the computer booted up.  After a moment, 
he typed some keys and the screen changed to give him a layout 
of the area.  The community was behind them and in front of them 
stood several miles of forest. 

“I don’t see what we’d be able to find here,” Rodney said as he 
moved closer to the front of the line.  “There’s nothing here.”

“What about readings?” Sheppard asked as he ducked under a low 
branch.

Rodney moved around the tree as he quickly typed on the 
keyboard. He stared at the screen then scoffed, shaking his 
head.

“I’m picking up some energy readings,” he said. “Up ahead to the 
right.” 

Sheppard nodded and picked up the pace. Rodney kept one eye on 
the computer and the other on where he was going.  The readings 
were getting stronger the closer they got.  He smiled slightly 
to himself as they left the road, heading toward the right.

“We’re getting closer,” Rodney said, practically jogging as his 
excitement grew. Finally, something interesting on this boring 
planet.  

He moved ahead of Sheppard, leading the way to their 
destination.  He stopped suddenly, Sheppard nearly colliding 
into him. He stared at the screen then the tangle of vines 
before him.

“We’re here,” Rodney said as he handed John his laptop.  He 
pulled away the vines and overgrown vegetation to reveal an 
entrance to a cave. He was barely able to hold back his glee as 
he looked around for a light source.

“It’s dark in there,” he said.  He spotted a thick stick and 
picked it up.  Pulling some cloth from the many pockets on his 
vest, he wrapped it around the stick.  

“Light?” John asked, handing Rodney his lighter. 

“Thanks,” he said and lit the cloth. 

“You’re going in there?” John asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” Rodney said, staring at John as if he were an idiot. 
Without another word, Rodney ducked into the cave, torch 
lighting the way.

The sight that greeted him made him speechless.  The cave was 
small, barely the size of the mess hall. The walls were smooth 
and beige in color, the floor covered in sand.  In the center of 
the cavern was a sandstone pedestal. On top of the plinth sat an 
artifact the size of a hardback book. 

“You’ve got to see this,” Rodney called as he took a step toward 
the pedestal. 

~*~

Elizabeth played Solitaire on her computer, but her mind was 
elsewhere.  She couldn’t get the dream out of her head. 

Where did they come from and why am I dreaming them? 

She had been worried about Rodney lately. His staff had reported 
he had been distracted recently, his missing lunch was very 
telling.  Had it anything to do with his own dreams?  She needed 
him to tell her more. 

“Unscheduled off world activation,” the words brought her out of 
her thoughts.

Elizabeth placed her laptop on her desk and hurried to the 
balcony.  She braced herself against the railing as she waited 
for the IDC to be revealed.

“Reading John Sheppard’s IDC.”

“Lower the shield,” she said as she left the balcony and headed 
down the steps.  A pang of dread made its way down her spine.  
The only reason anyone would return early was something had gone 
wrong.  She held her breath as she stood in the Gate room, 
hoping that everyone was all right.

The shield was lowered and her worse fears were realized.

“Medical emergency! Rodney’s been hit,” Sheppard’s voice was 
followed quickly by Teyla rushing through the gate.

“What happened?” Elizabeth asked, her voice not hiding the fear 
she felt. 

“Dr. McKay was shot by an arrow,” Teyla answered.

Sheppard came through the wormhole carrying Rodney by the arms. 
A second later came the rest of Rodney followed by Ronon 
carrying the scientist’s feet. 

Elizabeth stood frozen as she stared at Rodney.  An arrow was 
imbedded in his chest and the fear twisted tighter in her 
stomach.  She barely heard or saw Beckett and his team place 
Rodney on a gurney and wheel him away.  She stared into space 
not realizing the looks Sheppard and the others were giving her. 

“Elizabeth,” John’s soft voice brought her back to reality. She 
blinked and looked at Sheppard. 

“Are you all right?”

“How did it happen?” Elizabeth asked, going into leader mode in 
order to hide her fear.

“He found a cave and being his overeager scientific self, went 
inside first,” Sheppard answered as the group headed toward the 
infirmary.  “He wanted us to see what he found and when we did, 
Rodney was lying on his back with an arrow in his chest.”

“We believe the arrow might have been poisoned, so we hurried 
back here as fast as possible,” Teyla put in.

Elizabeth nodded, her stomach churning.  She took a deep breath 
to calm herself as she entered the infirmary. Carson was already 
at work saving Rodney. She stood watching as Carson gave orders 
to his staff.  

There’s nothing I can do now, she thought then left the 
infirmary.




































Chapter Six





Rodney slowly opened his eyes to find himself in the infirmary.  
He glanced around and saw he was alone.  He faintly heard 
Carson’s voice, probably talking to a nurse.  He sighed and 
tried to sit up only to have a sharp pain slice through his 
chest.  He cried out and lay back down. 

“Rodney?”  Carson came around the corner, surprised to see 
Rodney awake.  He checked the scientist’s vitals then checked 
the bandaged wound.

“It’s coming along nicely,” Carson said as he changed the 
bandage.  “You’ll be out of here tomorrow.”

“How about today?” Rodney asked.  “I have work to do.”

“Work that can wait till you’re well.”

Rodney rolled his eyes and stared at the ceiling.  Where is 
Elizabeth?  

“She’s in her office, I believe, lad,” Carson answered.

Rodney stared at him.  Did he say that aloud?  Obviously so, if 
Carson answered.  He closed his eyes and sighed.

“I can ask her to come down if you want,” Carson offered.

Rodney stared at him and wished he hadn’t.  There was a knowing 
look in the doctor’s eyes and it made him uneasy.  He shook his 
head and looked away.  He didn’t want any more people to know he 
had feelings for Elizabeth. 

“She doesn’t know, does she?” Carson asked.

“No and she’s not going to, either,” Rodney glared at Carson.

Carson sighed. “All right, Rodney, but you can’t keep it bottled 
up.” 

“Are you a shrink now?”

“No, just some advice.”

“Good,” Rodney said and turned away as much as the bed allowed.  
He closed his eyes and let sleep take over.

Rodney stood on the balcony, the rain coming down in sheets.  He 
stared across the city, a flash of lightening illuminating the 
sky.  The thunder came a moment later and he leaned against the 
wall, folding his arms across his chest.  The smell of the rain 
and the ocean filled his nose.

A hand fell on his shoulder and he turned to see Elizabeth 
smiling at him.  He smiled at her, his heart racing.  The 
lightening flashed causing a glow across her face.  He took her 
face in his hands and kissed her with all the passion he could 
muster. 

Elizabeth moaned into the kiss, opening her mouth to him.  His 
tongue dueled with hers as his hands buried themselves in her 
hair.  He walked her backward until she was against the wall. He 
deepened the kiss as his hands slowly moved down her body.  He 
pulled her shirt over her head, dropping it on the floor.  Her 
bra followed and he stepped back to take her in. 

“Elizabeth,” he whispered as a fire built inside him.  Wanting 
to feel her against him, Rodney pulled his shirt off, tossing it 
to the floor. 

Rodney pulled her against him, kissing her deeply.  He drew her 
out into the down pour, the rain barely cooling his heated 
blood.  He kissed along her throat and down her chest, taking a 
breast into his mouth.  She arched against him, giving him more 
of herself.  She moaned his name, her hands digging into his 
hair.  

Elizabeth yanked his pants down and he stepped out of them, 
kicking them aside.  Her pants followed as thunder sounded in 
the distance.  

Rodney lifted her, her legs wrapping around his waist.  She 
lowered herself upon him, moaning as he entered her.  He stood 
still as he savored the sensation of her around him.  It felt 
good to be inside her.  It was wonderful to be with Elizabeth.

She slowly rose up then moved back down.  He moaned as she 
moved.  He thrust up into her, her moans urging him on. 

He took her mouth again as he pushed her back against the wall.  
He grabbed her hips as he increased his pace.  Their tongues 
matched the movements of their lower bodies. 

Elizabeth dug her nails into his back as she called out his 
name.  Rodney thrust deep inside her as he released everything 
he had. 

Rodney sat up in bed, crying out Elizabeth’s name.  Carson 
appeared beside him as he lied back down, breathing hard.  He 
blinked several times as Carson checked his pulse. 

“What the hell happened?” Carson asked.

“It was nothing,” Rodney said.

“Must have been some nothing.  You’re grasping the bed sheets 
for dear life.”

Rodney stared down at his sides and saw his hands clasping the 
sheets.  He took a deep breath as he slowly unclenched his 
fists. 

“It’s just a dream,” he said as he folded his arms across his 
chest.  

“Some dream.  You called Dr. Weir’s name.”

Rodney closed his eyes in dismay.  This was getting out of hand. 
If this kept up, everyone would know about his erotic dreams.  
He ran his hands through his hair.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said softly.  “I’d also 
appreciate it if you’d forget about it.”

“Well, I doubt I can forget it, but I won’t tell anyone.”

Rodney stared at Carson and saw in the other man’s eyes he told 
the truth.  He nodded in thanks. 

“Can I go now?” He asked.
“You should take it easy,” Carson suggested as he handed the 
scientist his clothes.  “You might open up the wound if you...”

“I’m going to be walking around in the lab,” Rodney interrupted, 
taking his clothes.  “I’m not going to go a round with Ronon.”

“Still, I told Elizabeth to suspend your off world adventures 
until I give you a complete clean bill of health.”

“You what?” Rodney glared at the doctor, barely keeping himself 
from hitting the man.  What was Carson thinking?  He couldn’t 
stay behind.  He’d go stir crazy, knowing his team was on some 
planet while he was behind in the lab babysitting his staff.

“I can’t in good conscience have you go off world and take the 
chance that you might open that wound. There are too many 
possibilities, especially if you get attacked by hostile 
natives.”

“And Elizabeth agreed with you?”

“Yes,” Carson said, walking away.  “She doesn’t want her best 
scientist to be unconscious for another three days or worse.”

“I thought she would have said favorite scientist,” Rodney said 
earning a laugh from Carson.  The scientist rolled his eyes and 
hurriedly dressed not wanting to stay in the infirmary for 
another minute.

Rodney left the infirmary and headed for his lab.  He wanted to 
know if the book-sized artifact had been brought back.  Carson 
said it had been three days since that mission.  Plenty of time 
to go back and retrieve it.  His excitement grew as he thought 
of what the artifact could be. 

A written history, Rodney thought as he picked up his pace.  A 
way to fight the Wraith, it could be anything.

He entered his lab to find a few of his staff working.  Zelenka 
looked up from his laptop and offered a slight smile. 

“Couldn’t wait to get back to work?”

Rodney rolled his eyes.  “Where is it?”

Radek stared at him in confusion.  “Where is what?”

“The artifact that was brought back from the planet we went to 
three days ago.  It’s the size of a hardback book.”

Radek blinked then shook his head.  “Nothing of that size was 
brought back.”

Rodney stared at the other scientist, who only continued to look 
at him in confusion.  Why wouldn’t they have brought it back?  
It was something of importance.  It had to be if who ever put it 
there set a trap around it.  It only made sense. 

“Are you sure?” Rodney asked, feeling desperate.  They couldn’t 
have forgotten about it.  

“Completely.”

Rodney shook his head and left the lab.  If he wanted answers, 
he had to talk to Elizabeth and John.  They would know if the 
book was brought back.

~*~

Elizabeth sat in her office reading Sheppard’s report for a 
recent mission.  She had already read it an hour ago, but she 
needed something to take her mind off of the dreams she had been 
having.  They were increasing with intensity and frequency.  

She sighed and tossed the report on her desk.  She stood and 
stretched the muscles in her back, closing her eyes in pleasure.  
She looked out her glass wall down into the gate room.  A shiver 
went through her as she remembered the sight that greeted her 
three days ago.  She should be used to teams returning with 
wounded, but she knew better.  She always worried about those 
who went out on missions, but those on Sheppard’s team she 
worried about more.  

One especially I agonize about the most, Elizabeth thought as 
she turned around and saw the very person standing in her 
office. 

“Rodney,” she said surprised and relieved to see him.  “What is 
it?”

She watched as the wheels turned behind his blue eyes.  She saw 
the emotions playing across them and she wondered if Carson told 
him about their decision to keep him on Atlantis.  
He strode forward, stopping before the desk separating them.  He 
was silent for a moment as he folded his arms across his chest. 

“I found a book-sized artifact on that mission three days ago.  
Did anyone bring it back?”

Elizabeth blinked.  So that was what this was about.  She sighed 
and sat down, motioning for him to do the same.  He sat across 
from her, trying to keep himself from fidgeting.  She smiled to 
herself, knowing he was nervous.

“They didn’t bring it back, Rodney.  I’m sorry,” she said, 
hating the expression that crossed his face.  “They didn’t think 
it was worth going back for.”

“Not worth it?” Rodney almost shouted.  “That book could have 
contained the history of the Ancients!  It could have contained 
their stories, their battle plans, more addresses.”

“They didn’t want to risk someone else getting hurt, Rodney,” 
Elizabeth said, knowing she had to keep calm.  Getting angry at 
him would only make him angrier or worse, quiet.  That was the 
last thing she needed him to be.  “There could still be traps 
placed around the artifact.  We can’t risk it.”

Rodney stared at her, his eyes dark with emotion.  She held her 
breath, waiting for him to do or say something.  Finally, after 
what seemed like forever, he stood and walked out.  Elizabeth 
leaned back in her chair and sighed.  

So much for not making him angry, Elizabeth thought. 



















  
Chapter Seven



Rodney stalked back toward his lab, his mind racing.  He 
couldn’t believe no one would go back for the artifact.  Didn’t 
they know how important it might be?  How many traps could there 
be anyway?  

He thought about going back for the artifact himself, but he’d 
probably be stopped before he even had the gate dialed.  

“Told you,” Radek said as Rodney entered the lab. 

“Shut up,” he snapped as he went to his laptop.

“Someone’s testy,” Radek said softly.

“Yes,” Rodney glared at Radek, “when someone tells you that you 
can’t go off world and then they tell you the artifact you found 
isn’t worth going back for, you’d be testy, too.  More than 
testy.”

Radek said nothing and Rodney went back to staring at his 
screen.  

Rodney was well past bad-tempered when lunch rolled around. He 
had snapped at most of his staff through the morning and they 
had given him a wide berth afterwards.  He almost heard their 
sigh of relief when he finally left for the mess hall. 

He entered the dining room to find it crowded with people. He 
grumbled to himself as he got something to eat.  His eyes 
instantly sought out Elizabeth as he left the line.  He saw her 
eating with Sheppard and Carson in the center of the room.  

Rodney sighed. Even when I’m mad at her I want to see her.  He 
shook his head and found himself a table. 

It wasn’t long before someone sat across from him.  He looked up 
from his meal to find John Sheppard in front of him.  Rodney 
glared at the other man, but Sheppard was unfazed.

“How’re you feeling?”

Rodney stared at Sheppard, caught off guard by the question.  He 
took a sip of his coffee as he gathered his thoughts.

“I was just told that the book I found wasn’t brought back.  How 
do you think I feel?”

Sheppard leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his 
chest.  “I didn’t want to risk tripping another trap, Rodney.  
It was too dangerous to go back to the cave.”

“There’s a way to trip all the traps without anyone getting 
hurt,” Rodney stated, his mind working overtime.  “Let me figure 
out how to do it and then we can go back and get the artifact.”

“You’re not allowed to go off world, McKay. Doctor’s orders.”

Rodney rolled his eyes, not wanting his idea to be shot down so 
soon.  “I can get Carson to give me a clean bill of health, so I 
can go.  Just let me try.”

Sheppard stared at Rodney. “We’ve gone down this road before and 
it was a disaster.  I’m not doing it again.”

“It’s not going to be like that,” Rodney said.  “I just…”

“How’s the dreams?” Sheppard interrupted.

Rodney glared at him.  “I had another one this morning.  Now 
Carson knows.”

Sheppard smiled and Rodney wanted to knock it off his face.  His 
erotic dreams weren’t a form of entertainment.  He wished he’d 
told no one about them in the first place. 

“You need to tell her, McKay,” Sheppard said.  “She needs to 
know.”

“That I’m having dreams about her or that I have feelings for 
her?”

“Both,” Sheppard said as he snatched a piece of bread from 
Rodney’s tray. 

“Not going to happen,” he said as he pulled his tray closer to 
himself.  “She’d run for the hills if she knew either one.”
“You don’t know that,” Sheppard said, chewing on the bread.  
“Tell her and find out.”

Rodney stared at the other man.  He’d heard that from three 
different people several times.  He sighed and glanced over at 
Elizabeth, who was still talking to Carson.  He had no idea what 
she felt for him other than close friendship.  He didn’t want to 
lose that if it was all she felt and he told her his feelings.  

“I’ve already been over this,” he said, staring at his food.  
“She doesn’t need to know how I feel about her.”

“You’re stubborn,” Sheppard said. “Too stubborn for your own 
good.”

John left the table, leaving Rodney alone with his thoughts.  He 
pushed his food around the tray, feeling worse than he did that 
morning. 


~*~


Elizabeth woke with a start, her heart racing and her body 
covered in sweat.  She sat up in bed, running a hand through her 
soaked hair.  She had the dream again and she swore she actually 
climaxed.  She took a deep breath to steady herself and climbed 
out of bed.  Something caught her eye as she headed for the 
bathroom.

She turned and on her nightstand was the cube Rodney had given 
her.  It glowed a light blue.  She picked it up, turning it over 
in her hands.  Why was it gleaming?  How long had it been doing 
this?

“Rodney,” Elizabeth whispered and quickly dressed.  She’d been 
having these dreams ever since he had given the cube to her.  
Maybe the two were connected.  Either way, she had to tell him. 

Elizabeth found Rodney in his lab, working on a device. It was 
the size of a life signs detector, but was azure in color.  The 
rest of his staff had long since gone to bed, leaving him to 
himself.  He hadn’t seen her come in, so she took this 
opportunity to watch him.  

He had the machine plugged into his laptop and he was going back 
and forth between them.  She stepped further into the lab and 
glanced over his shoulder at the screen.  She raised an eyebrow 
when he looked up at her.

“Elizabeth,” he said, surprised.  “What brings you here?”

“This,” she said, holding out the cube which was no longer 
shimmering.  “I woke up to find this glowing.”

“Really?” Rodney asked, his expression changing to curiosity as 
he looked at the cube.  

“I don’t know what’s making it glow and I don’t know why,” she 
said as he took the cube from her.  “All I know is that I’ve 
been having intense dreams and they started when you gave me 
that.”

Rodney stared at her in stunned silence then back at the cube.  
He turned it over in his hands just as she had done earlier.  
She watched him, knowing the wheels were already spinning in his 
head. 

“What kind of dreams?” Rodney asked as he set the cube down on 
the table.  He looked at her, his blue eyes searching her face. 

Elizabeth sighed and paced.  She didn’t know how to tell him she 
dreamed about him making love to her. “They’re intense as I’ve 
said.  They seem very real until I wake up.”

She stopped behind him and looked at the computer screen.  She 
glanced at the device and narrowed her eyes.  He couldn’t be 
doing what she thought, could he?

“What are you doing?” Elizabeth asked calmly. 

Rodney blinked, obviously caught off guard by her sudden change 
in direction.  He stared at his computer then back at her. 

“I thought we made it clear you weren’t to go off world, 
Rodney,” she said, folding her arms.  “I also don’t want you to 
go back to that planet.  That’s what you’re planning, aren’t 
you?”

Rodney rolled his eyes and looked away.  She smiled to herself, 
knowing she caught him doing something he shouldn’t.  She pushed 
it aside, though, for this was too serious a situation.  She 
didn’t want him to get hurt again.  

“Elizabeth, that book could be extremely important,” he said, 
standing and looking intently at her.  Warmth spread through her 
as she stared into his eyes.  She could never get over how blue 
they were.  She put the thought aside and turned away from him.

“It’s too dangerous, Rodney,” she said, looking at him.  

“If those traps are technologically based, which I believe they 
are, this device will disable them,” he said, pointing to the 
object in question.  “If you’ll just let me go, I’ll have the 
artifact before morning.”

“No,” Elizabeth said, stepping closer to him.  How could he do 
this to her?  After all they’ve been through how could he throw 
his life away for some ridiculous object?  

“No?” Rodney repeated, staring at her as if she’d lost her mind.  
“You really want to pass up this opportunity to bring something 
valuable back here?  Because of a few traps?””

Elizabeth shook her head not believing what she heard. He was 
willing to risk his life for something that might not even be 
anything.  She wasn’t about to let him do it. She stepped closer 
to him and stared into his blue eyes.

“I’m not going to cater to your ego, Rodney.  You’re not leaving 
Atlantis for something that might be worthless.”

Rodney stared at her, his expression a mixture of shock and 
hurt.  She hated herself for putting that look on his face, but 
she didn’t want to lose him.  She would if he went back to the 
planet.

“Fine,” he said, unplugging the device and tossing it on the 
table.  He didn’t look at her as he sat in front of his 
computer.  

Elizabeth opened her mouth, but she didn’t know what she could 
say that would fix the pain she’d caused.  She sighed and 
quietly left the lab.  










Chapter Eight




The Gate room was quiet thanks to the late hour, no teams were 
expected to arrive or leave.  Rodney made his way up the stairs 
to the DHD, keeping an eye out in case someone happened to enter 
the room.  He took a deep breath as he stared at the symbols.  
He searched his mind for the address of the planet he needed 
then punched it in.  He watched as the gate activated then he 
moved quickly down the steps, pulling on his backpack as he 
went. 

He took a deep breath as he stared at the watery event horizon.  
He glanced behind him, taking in the empty room. 

“I’ll prove it’s not worthless,” Rodney whispered before he 
stepped through the gate.

The sun nearly blinded him as he stepped out on the other side.  
He put up his hand to block the sun as he blinked several times. 
He grumbled to himself as he pulled out his laptop and turned it 
on.  

“Come on,” Rodney griped as he waited for the computer to boot 
up.  He walked toward the town, knowing the artifact was near 
it.  The computer beeped a moment later and he glanced at it.  
“’bout time.”

He typed on the keys as he headed into the forest, ignoring the 
changing colors of the grass around him.  The birds sang, but he 
didn’t hear them as he saw the readings on the screen.  He 
smiled to himself as he headed in the direction the readings 
were coming from. 

“She’ll eat her words when I show her this,” Rodney said as he 
ducked under a low hanging branch.  “It won’t be worthless.  I’m 
not worthless.”

The beeping on the computer increased and he knew he was close.  
His excitement grew with each step he took.  He picked up his 
pace; keeping one eye on the readings and the other on anything 
he might trip over. 

Not long now, Rodney thought as he went around a tree and saw 
the cave up ahead.  He grinned as he jogged toward the entrance.

“There you are,” he said as he placed the laptop on the ground 
and brought out the device he had worked on.  He turned it on 
and pointed it toward the cave.  He pressed a few buttons and 
the machine beeped.

“Now, let’s see if I’m right,” Rodney shoved the vines aside and 
entered the cave.  He stopped a few feet from the pedestal and 
glanced at the instrument in his hand.  He smiled slightly as 
the readings on the screen told him there were three traps 
around the artifact.  The fourth he had tripped three days ago.  
He shook his head and pressed a few more buttons.  

Rodney glanced up, trying to spot the traps around the cave.  
After several minutes of squinting and a growing headache, he 
gave up.  He had to give it to who ever set them up; they knew 
how to hide them. 

He heard several clicks echo through out the cave and saw dust 
fall from the cave ceiling. His excitement grew, almost 
overwhelming him.  The device was working. 

The machine beeped again and he looked at the screen.  He smiled 
to himself as he read there were no traps in the cave. 

“The moment of truth,” Rodney whispered and cautiously stepped 
further into the cave.  He looked around, dust and dirt settling 
about him.  He took a deep breath as he made his way toward the 
pedestal.  “No turning back now.”

He stood before the artifact, his heart racing with both 
excitement and trepidation.  He knew once he made it back, 
Elizabeth would tear him a new one for disobeying her.  Still, 
he couldn’t resist getting his hands on the book.  Once she saw 
it and what it contained, she would forget what she said to him. 

Rodney gently picked up the book, noticing the thing was heavier 
than he first thought.  It must weigh at least thirty pounds. He 
carried it out of the cave, back to where he left his laptop and 
backpack.  Opening his backpack, he shoved the artifact inside.  
He placed the device in the many pockets on his vest and carried 
his computer. Grunting, he pulled the backpack over his shoulder 
and headed toward the gate. 

“Too dangerous my ass,” Rodney said, smiling.

He made it to the gate without incident and dialed Atlantis.  He 
took a deep breath and watched as the gate activated.  He moved 
toward the gate as the horizon formed.

Where the hell is he?  A voice stopped him in his tracks.  He 
stared at the gate, wondering where the voice had come from.  It 
sounded like Elizabeth and she was upset.

When I get my hands on him…

Rodney backed away from the gate as if it had bit him.  Were 
those her thoughts he heard?  How was that possible?

“Rodney,” Elizabeth’s voice came to his ear.  “Tell me that’s 
not you on the other side of the gate.”

Rodney sighed and touched his earpiece.  “Can’t do that, sorry.”

Oh, hell, Rodney heard Elizabeth’s thought and a sense of unease 
went through him.  What had happened that caused him to hear her 
thoughts?  Could she hear his?

“Get back here, now, Rodney, and we’ll discuss how much trouble 
you’re in.”

Rodney rolled his eyes. “What am I, five years old?”

“Get back here, McKay. Now.”

He blinked at the gate and knew he was in it now.  He didn’t 
remember the last time she used his last name. 

This isn’t good, he thought as he stepped into the gate.

Rodney found himself in the gate room staring at an angry 
Elizabeth Weir.  Her arms were folded under her breasts and her 
eyes were narrowed.  He sighed as he stepped toward her. 

“Elizabeth,” he began, but she raised her hand to silence him. 

“My office, now,” she said and turned around.

Rodney glanced around the room and saw Sheppard and Carson 
staring back at him.  John shook his head as he folded his arms 
across his chest.  Carson said nothing.  
Great, he thought as he followed Elizabeth to her office.  This 
is going to go well.

Elizabeth closed the door after him and went to her desk.  She 
sat on the edge, not looking at him for several minutes.  He 
watched her, his unease growing. 

“I can’t tell you how frightened I was to find you weren’t 
anywhere on Atlantis,” Elizabeth said, finally looking at him.  
“I had hoped you hadn’t gone to that planet, but to find that 
you did.  Rodney, how could you?”

Rodney stared at her, the words he wanted to say were in his 
head, but his mouth wouldn’t form them.  He sighed and placed 
his backpack on her desk. 

“If you will just take a look at it…”

“You disobeyed me,” Elizabeth interrupted, her eyes narrowing.  
“You went right under my nose and went to that planet when I 
told you not to.  How do you think that makes me feel?”

Rodney looked at her.  He had thought she’d be angry with him, 
even disappointed.  Scared had never crossed his mind. 

“It makes me think that you don’t take me seriously,” she 
continued.  

“I take you very seriously,” Rodney said, taking a step closer.  
“I respect you, even admire you.  I would never think any less 
of you?”

Elizabeth sighed and glanced at the backpack.  “You really think 
this is important?”

Rodney moved toward the pack, his gears shifting quickly.  He 
opened the pack as he spoke.  “I think it is.  As soon as I get 
this to the lab and have it analyzed we will see how important 
it is.”

He pulled out the artifact and placed it on the desk.  He 
watched as Elizabeth’s eyes widened and he couldn’t help, but 
smile.  He loved that expression on her face.  He grew warm as 
she ran a finger along the edge of the book.  His heart rate 
increased and he moved away from her as his arousal grew.  He 
closed his eyes and tried to force the arousal down.

Elizabeth, stop, he thought as he took a deep breath to calm 
himself.

He opened his eyes and Elizabeth stared at him, a surprised look 
on her face. 

“Are you all right?” Rodney asked as he stepped toward her.

Elizabeth cleared her throat and moved away from him.  “I want 
to help.  If you are right about this, I want in on it.”

Rodney smiled and raised an eyebrow.  He knew she would come 
around, but he hadn’t considered her wanting to help.  He’d 
appreciate her assistance, knowing she was better at Ancient 
than he was. 

“I’d appreciate your help, Elizabeth,” he said, putting his 
hands behind his back.  “I doubt anyone will act up with you 
there.”

Elizabeth smiled and a flame burst within him.  He loved that 
smile and he knew he would need a cold shower before he got back 
to work. 


























Chapter Nine




Rodney stared at his computer screen as the Ancient writing 
scrolled before him.  He knew the artifact would contain a lot 
of information, but he hadn’t thought it would contain this 
much.  He shook his head and leaned back in his chair.  

“This is going to take awhile,” he said as Elizabeth stood 
beside him.  Her presence soothed his irritation and he was glad 
she was with him. 

“We’ll take it a little at a time, Rodney,” she said, placing a 
hand on his shoulder.  Warmth flooded his very being and he 
closed his eyes.  He wanted so much to take her in his arms and 
love her right then. 

“I guess we’ll start at the beginning then,” he said with a 
sigh. 

“Good a place as any,” she said.

Rodney nodded and typed on the keyboard.  The beginning 
paragraphs came up on the screen.  He moved away so Elizabeth 
could read it.  He smelled her perfume and he thought maybe 
letting her help was a bad idea.  If he was aroused by just her 
perfume and her nearness then he was in serious trouble.  He 
wouldn’t be able to work on anything. 

He quickly stood and moved as far away from her as he dared.  He 
didn’t want her to know how turned on by her he was. 

“Are you all right?” Elizabeth asked, looking at him. 

“Fine,” he squeaked then cleared his throat.  “I just want to 
check on something.  Don’t let me stop you, keep reading.”

She nodded, still staring at him with a concerned expression.  
He smiled then turned and headed into a different section of the 
lab.  

She’s going to be the death of me, Rodney thought as he glanced 
at a read-out of another artifact they had found recently.  He 
shook his head and wondered why they had even brought the thing 
back.  It hadn’t worked or done anything. 

“Rodney, come here!” Elizabeth called.

Rodney hurried around the corner and was at her side in record 
time.  She pointed at the screen as she talked. 

“If I’m reading this right, this is only one artifact of three.”

Rodney stared at the screen in surprise.  He hadn’t been 
expecting this.  His excitement grew as Elizabeth continued. 

“Once together the artifacts create a power source.”

“Does it mention addresses?” Rodney asked as he scanned through 
the writing.

“It will take some time to translate the rest of it, but I 
believe there should be.”

Rodney looked at Elizabeth and couldn’t help the grin that 
formed on his face.  A new power source would help immensely. No 
more worrying about draining the ZPM.  Elation surged through 
him at the thought of getting his hands on those artifacts. 

“I’ll get us lunch,” he said, tearing himself away from the 
screen. 

Rodney was out the door before Elizabeth was able to say a word.  
He jogged down the hall, his mind racing through the 
possibilities of having a better power source.  He barely 
noticed the looks he received as he made his way to the mess 
hall. 

Once in the mess hall, he headed toward the serving line, 
grabbing two trays on the way.  He was so focused on piling food 
onto the trays he didn’t notice Sheppard come up beside him.

“You really must be hungry,” Sheppard said, startling the 
scientist.  “Or are you eating with someone this time?”

Rodney glared at Sheppard, who smiled smugly.  “If you must 
know, Elizabeth and I are working on the artifact I brought 
back.  I’m bringing us lunch.”

“Really?” Sheppard said, folding his arms across his chest.  
“You keep telling yourself that, Rodney.”

Rodney shook his head and picked up the two trays.  “This is not 
a date, Sheppard.  This is work.”

“Lie to yourself all you want, but you know deep down that 
unless you tell her how you feel, this will be as close to a 
date with her as you will get.”

“Don’t you have a beating to get to with Teyla?” Rodney asked as 
he headed out of the room. 

Rodney entered the lab and Elizabeth still sat in front of his 
computer.  He took the opportunity to admire her as she 
translated the Ancient writing.  

She twirled a lock of dark hair around her finger then she 
quickly jotted something down on a piece of paper.  She was 
focused on her task and he hated to interrupt her. He cleared 
his throat, getting her attention.

“I brought you some food,” he said, closing the gap between 
them.  He set the trays on the table behind her and handed her a 
plate.  “I didn’t know what you might want, so I got a little 
bit of everything.”

“Thanks,” Elizabeth said, taking the plate.  She offered him her 
charming smile again and his heart skipped a beat.  He cleared 
his throat again and grabbed a plate of his own to distract 
himself with.  “I believe I might have found an address.”

“Really?” Rodney asked, a grape paused half-way to his mouth.   
“Where?”

“Here,” Elizabeth handed him the piece of paper and he glanced 
at the address.  He looked back at her, an eyebrow raised. 

“I know,” she said with a shrug.  “We haven’t been there, yet, 
but I’m sure it’s in the database.  We just have to check it.”

“I’ll do that right now,” Rodney said, putting his plate back on 
the tray.  Elizabeth grabbed his arm.

“Eat, Rodney,” she said, her eyes telling him not to argue, for 
he wouldn’t win.  “I’m not going to have you pass out on me.”

“Right,” he said and sat down.  He sighed and picked up his 
plate.  “I guess the database isn’t going anywhere.”

“No, it isn’t,” she laughed, causing his breath to catch and his 
pulse to speed up.  He looked at her as she ate and he couldn’t 
get over how beautiful she was.  He almost wanted to tell her 
how he felt, almost.  


~*~

“The planet is definitely in the database,” Rodney said, turning 
away from the large screen in the briefing room.  “It hasn’t 
been inhabited by anyone in centuries, so running into natives 
won’t be a problem.  I can go there, get the artifact and come 
back.”

“You’re not going, Rodney,” Elizabeth said, folding her arms 
across her chest.  She narrowed her eyes at him and he couldn’t 
decide whether to be angry with her or kiss her. 

“Elizabeth, we’ve been over this,” he said, rolling his eyes.  
“I can get it faster if I go alone.  I won’t be gone more than 
an hour, two at the most.”

Elizabeth stood and closed the gap between them.  His heart 
raced at her nearness, threatening to burst out of his chest.  
He stared at her, hoping he looked agitated or at the very 
least, annoyed. 

“You are still restricted from going off world, Rodney,” she 
told him.  “I’m not about to let you go anywhere.”

“Then I’ll take Carson with me,” he said, frustrated.  “Hell, 
I’ll even take John if it’ll make you feel better.  They both 
can babysit me.”

Elizabeth appeared to fight a smile and he knew he had her. 
“Fine, Rodney, you can go, but I want you back here in two 
hours.”

Rodney smiled, his exhilaration on overload. “Great, thanks.”  
He left the briefing room as Elizabeth called his babysitters. 

~*~

“You ready?” Sheppard said as Rodney strode into the gate room, 
carrying his backpack.  He glared at Sheppard, wishing for once 
that the man didn’t look so smug. 

“Of course,” Rodney answered.  

“You know the only reason you’re going is because we’ll be with 
you,” Sheppard said, pointing toward Carson, who looked nervous. 

“Don’t remind me,” Rodney said as he stared at the gate.  

The gate activated and Rodney could barely hold down the 
excitement bubbling up inside him. He grinned like a mad man as 
the blue horizon appeared.  He took a deep breath and was about 
to step through when Elizabeth called out behind them. 

He spun around and saw her hurrying up to them.  She wore her 
red and black jacket over her red shirt as well as a backpack. 
He was both surprised and thrilled to see her.  They would be 
able to share the experience of finding the artifact together.  

“Welcome aboard,” Sheppard said and Elizabeth nodded to him, 
offering him a smile.  A pang of jealousy went through Rodney, 
but he shoved it down. There were more important things to worry 
about at the moment. 

“Lead the way,” she said and Sheppard stepped through the gate. 

“Babysitter number three,” Rodney said, smiling.

“You know better than that.  I want to see this artifact.”

“That’s the Elizabeth I know,” he said as he followed her 
through the gate. 

The bright sun beat down on him the moment he stepped through.  
The heat hit him a moment later and Rodney believed this was a 
bad idea.

“No one said this was a desert!” Rodney said as he stared at the 
oceans of sand before him.  “This is going to be needle in a 
haystack.”

“I was beginning to wonder if he was ever going to whine again,” 
Sheppard said.

“Did I mention I have fair skin?” Rodney stated as they moved 
away from the gate.  “I’m going to burn to a crisp.”

“You are not, stop whining,” Sheppard said.  “Just think about 
what you’re going to find when we find it.”

“Yes, I can think of the artifact while I burn. Thanks, 
Sheppard.”

“Maybe we should find some shade and a water source,” Elizabeth 
mentioned, earning a smile from Rodney.  “We won’t last long if 
we don’t.”

“Good idea,” Rodney agreed as he pulled out his laptop from the 
pack.  “I’m betting the artifact might be near such a source.”

“Are you sure your laptop won’t fry in this heat?” Sheppard 
asked, earning a laugh from Carson.

“Very funny,” Rodney said as he booted up his computer. 

“Can we stop the bickering for five minutes?” Elizabeth asked. 
“We need to conserve energy.”

“That sounds like an excellent idea,” Carson put in.  “I’m 
already tired from it.”

Rodney rolled his eyes as he typed on the keyboard.  The 
computer beeped and the screen showed the readings.  He smiled 
and picked up his pace.

“This way,” he said.  He half-jogged, half-walked in the 
direction the readings were pointing out for him.  He doubted 
any of them would find the artifact otherwise with all this 
sand.  He wiped the sweat from his face as he glanced at the 
screen.

“Almost there,” Rodney said as the beeping increased in loudness 
and speed. 

He led the way up a step sand dune and stopped at the top.  He 
glanced out over the vast desert and fought back a groan. He 
wiped his face again and sighed.  He hoped the artifact wasn’t 
buried in the sand.  He doubted any of them would last much 
longer in this heat. 

Rodney glanced back down the dune and saw the others finally 
catch up with him.  He made his way down to meet them when 
Sheppard tripped.  

The Colonel fell face first in the sand at the same time his gun 
went off.  Rodney hit the sand, covering his head.  He looked up 
as Sheppard got to his feet.

“You could have killed me!” Rodney shouted as he climbed to his 
feet. 

“That missed you by a mile,” Sheppard said as he brushed the 
sand off him.  “It wasn’t even aimed at you.”

Rodney grumbled as he picked up his laptop, brushing off the 
sand.  He checked it over and was relieved the sand hadn’t 
damaged it.  If anything, it still worked and was beeping like 
mad. 

“What did you trip over?” He asked as he stepped toward John. 

“Something sticking out of the ground,” Sheppard said, turning 
around.

Rodney stepped beside Sheppard and glanced down at the thing 
sticking out of the sand. 

“That’s one way to find it,” he said as he knelt in the sand.  
He dug the fine-grained sand away, revealing the artifact half-
buried.  He didn’t hold back the excitement as he yanked the 
book out of the ground.  “Elizabeth!”

Rodney handed the artifact to Elizabeth, her eyes wide with 
wonder.  He smiled at her as he climbed to his feet.  She 
returned his smile as she looked the book over. 

“One down, one to go,” she said, her green eyes bright with 
exhilaration. 













Chapter Ten




The download from the second artifact took nearly as long to 
complete.  Rodney paced the lab barely able to hold back his 
impatience.  It was well past midnight and he couldn’t keep his 
eyes open much longer. 

“I need coffee,” he said as he headed over to the coffee maker. 

“Why don’t we both go to bed?” Elizabeth said, standing.  “We 
can look this over in the morning when we’re both rested.”

“Elizabeth, how can you sleep at a time like this?” he asked as 
he poured himself a cup of coffee.  

She stared at him, an eyebrow raised.  He knew he was about to 
get a lecture when she stared at him like that.  He inwardly 
groaned and leaned against the table. 

“Our minds will be a lot clearer after a good night’s sleep, 
Rodney,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.  “We’ll be 
much more alert, otherwise we might misinterpret something.”

“Elizabeth, I’ve gone hours even days without sleep and been 
able to think clearly.  This won’t be any different.”

“You might be able to get by on a cup of coffee…”

“Several.”

“But I can’t,” she said, her eyes wide.  “I need sleep, Rodney, 
and so do you.”

Rodney sighed.  “Fine.  You’ve made your point.  We’ll pick this 
up in the morning.”

“Good,” Elizabeth smiled and he knew he made the right decision 
if it meant seeing her brilliant smile.  “I’ll see you in the 
morning.”

Rodney woke with a start, Elizabeth’s name echoing in his ears.  
He stared at the ceiling as the dream slowly vanished back into 
his subconscious.  He closed his eyes and sighed, knowing he 
wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep.  

Glancing at the clock, he saw it was four in the morning.  
Grumbling, he climbed out of bed and headed for the shower. 

When will this end? Rodney thought as he turned on the cold 
water and got under the spray.  

Five minutes later, feeling wide awake, Rodney entered the lab 
and headed for his workstation.  The computer had finished the 
download and he couldn’t keep the grin off his face.  He opened 
the file and scanned the first few paragraphs.  He was able to 
decipher most of it, but he needed Elizabeth to translate all of 
it. 

“Time to wake Sleeping Beauty,” he said.  “Hope she won’t kill 
me.  Elizabeth, it’s finished downloading.”

There was no answer and Rodney sighed, rolling his eyes.  He 
should have known she would still be in bed.  She wasn’t prone 
to erotic dreams every night like he was.  He shook his head, 
saved the files and headed for her quarters. 

Don’t kill me, he repeated in his mind as he made his way 
through the halls.  He knew where her quarters were, he had this 
half of the city memorized.  It wouldn’t take him long to get 
there. 

Thoughts of her in her sleepwear crept into his mind causing hot 
lava to flow through him.  He stopped and closed his eyes a 
moment, taking several deep breaths.  He clinched his hands into 
fists and continued on.  It wouldn’t do to be completely aroused 
right in front of her.  She’d definitely know how he felt about 
her then. 

Think of the artifact, Rodney told himself as he stood in front 
of Elizabeth’s door.  Artifact, right. 

Rodney took a deep breath and knocked on the door rather than 
take the chance of opening it himself.  

There wasn’t an answer and he rolled his eyes.  Grumbling, he 
pounded on the door and called her name.  He heard a faint noise 
on the other side and he smiled slightly. 
“Finally,” he whispered as he folded his arms across his chest 
and bounced on his feet.  A moment later, the door opened and 
his jaw dropped at the sight which greeted him. 

Elizabeth stared at him, her hair a mess. She had wrapped a dark 
blue robe around her tightly.  His mind worked over time on what 
was underneath.  

“Rodney,” Elizabeth said, both annoyed and tired.  “This better 
be important.”

Rodney shook himself to the present and stared into her eyes. He 
cleared his throat to calm himself.

“The artifact’s been downloaded.  I was able to translate some 
of it, but I need your help for the rest of it.”

“Rodney, it’s four-thirty in the morning,” Elizabeth said in 
between yawns.  “Can’t it wait?”

Rodney fought the urge to roll his eyes.  He couldn’t get over 
the fact that she wasn’t as thrilled as he was at the prospect 
of looking the artifact over.  It was early, though.  Maybe some 
more sleep will get her enthusiasm up. 

“Fine,” he said, sighing.  “I’ll call you later.”

Elizabeth smiled and stepped back into her room.  He watched the 
door close wishing he had followed her in.

~*~

Elizabeth woke with a start, her heart racing as if she’d run a 
marathon.  Sweat soaked her nightgown and dampened her hair.  
She sat up slowly, the dream fading from her mind.  She ran a 
hand through her hair and wondered how she was to tell Rodney 
about her dreams.  How would he take it? 

She shook her head and climbed out of bed, quickly showering and 
dressing just as quickly.  Her stomach growled and she headed 
toward the mess hall, knowing Rodney would be down there.  It 
was nearly eight in the morning and she doubted he had eaten, 
yet.  Being overly excited about the artifact, he probably 
forgot to eat breakfast. 

She had been surprised at how many times she thought about 
Rodney.  She worried and cared about him, but what she felt now 
went beyond mere friendship.  These dreams only brought it to 
the fore.  Did he feel the same?  Could he feel the same?

Elizabeth stepped into the mess hall and went to get something 
to eat.  She placed the plates on a tray and headed for a table.  
Her eyes fell on Rodney, who sat near the wall to her left.  She 
smiled to herself and headed for him.  She sat in front of him, 
getting his attention.  He stared at her in surprise then looked 
around the room as if someone could be watching.  

“Good morning, Rodney,” she said as he turned his attention back 
to her.  She looked into blue eyes full of surprise.  She 
offered him a smile and he relaxed. 

“Morning,” he said, clearing his throat.  “Sleep well?”

“Other than the really early morning wake up call, fine,” she 
answered.  She didn’t want to tell him about her dreams, not 
yet.  She doubted he was ready to hear about them.  His mind was 
clearly on other things, like the artifact. 

“Sorry,” Rodney said.  “I couldn’t wait to show you.”

“Obviously,” she said, taking a sip of coffee. 

Rodney rolled his eyes and she smiled. 

“So the artifact has been downloaded?” Elizabeth asked, watching 
his eyes brighten.

“I translated some of it,” he answered.  “It mentions the power 
source again and describes the planet the third artifact is on.”

Elizabeth smiled.  Apparently, he had all he needed to find the 
last artifact.  “So what do you need me for?”

Rodney blinked as if caught off guard by her question.  He took 
a drink of his coffee before answering.  “I don’t have all of it 
translated.  There could be something important buried in those 
words.  Something along the lines of: don’t go here, it’s 
dangerous.”

“All right,” she said.  “I’ll translate the rest of it for you.”

Rodney smiled and her breath caught in her throat.  It was rare 
that he ever smiled, but when he did it was a complete 
transformation from grumpy man to little boy.  It got to her 
every time, but now it nearly stopped her heart.  

“Great,” he said, standing.  “I’ll get it ready.”

Elizabeth watched him leave feeling his absence strongly.  She 
shook her head and returned to her breakfast. 

Elizabeth arrived in the lab fifteen minutes later to find 
Rodney staring at the computer screen.  She smiled and went over 
to him.  She stood over him as she looked at the screen.  She 
narrowed her eyes as she read the words.

“It sounds like a beautiful planet,” she said after a moment.  
“Quite romantic.”

“And according to this it is uninhabited, like the desert we 
went to,” Rodney replied. 

“Have you found the address?” Elizabeth asked as he stood.

“I’ll leave that to you.  I need to check on your glowing cube.”

Elizabeth blinked.  “I thought you forgot about it?”

“Of course not,” he said, giving her an “are you an idiot” look.  
“Anything we find that might actually do something always gets 
my attention.”

“Have you found anything out about it?”

“It’s activated by the gene,” Rodney answered, going into 
lecture mode.  “I must have activated when I touched it, but it 
didn’t do anything until I gave it to you.  I’m still working on 
that.”

Elizabeth nodded, one of her questions answered at least.  The 
other would have to wait.  “Have fun.”

Rodney smirked then went to the other side of the lab where he 
kept the cube.  She sighed and sat in front of the computer and 
got to work. 

After an hour, Elizabeth had the gate address and more 
information on the planet.  

“The artifact is on a remote part of the western continent,” she 
said as she stood in the briefing room.  Rodney, John, and 
Carson sat around the large table.  Teyla and Ronon were on an 
off world assignment.  “It will probably be more difficult to 
find than the second one.”

“Needle in a haystack,” Rodney put in as he leaned back in his 
chair.  “We’re talking continent sized forest here.  Thankfully, 
the climate is nice.”

“And the trees will block out the sun,” John said, earning a 
glare from Rodney.  

“Don’t make me separate you two,” Elizabeth said as she stared 
at both of them.  John shrugged while Rodney continued to glare 
at John.  She rolled her eyes and sighed.  She knew Rodney would 
be on his best behavior in front of her, but she doubted he’d 
hold his temper much longer if John kept up the remarks about 
Rodney’s fair complexion.  

“If we can be civil toward each other, let’s get us an 
artifact.”

The three stood and filed out of the room, leaving her to gather 
her thoughts.  She ran a hand through her hair and let the 
tension leave her body.  

I need a serious warm bath when we get back, she thought. 

“Are you coming?”  Rodney’s voice caused her to jump.  She 
stared at him, his expression one of concern.  He stepped 
further into the room as she put her hands behind her back. 

“What’s wrong?”

Elizabeth cleared her throat.  “I’m a bit tense.  We’re so close 
to finding out what this power source is all about.”

“You’re excited,” he said, smiling. 

“I guess so,” she said, returning his smile.  “We should get 
going.”

Rodney blinked as if coming out of a daze.  “Right.”

She followed him out of the room barely catching his “God, she’s 
got a great smile.”  She stared at his back in surprise.  Did I 
hear that right? Elizabeth thought.  Did he say that out loud?

She continued to stare at him as they made their way down the 
steps toward the gate.  He looked at her as she stood beside 
him. 

“What?” Rodney asked, catching her surprised expression.

Elizabeth shook her head; still not sure she had heard him 
right.  She looked up at the control room and nodded for them to 
dial the gate. 

She watched the gate activate, the excitement replacing her 
surprise and confusion.  Her heart raced as she walked through 
the blue horizon. 

~*~

Elizabeth caught her breath at the scenery before her as she 
came out on the planet.  Her gaze took in her surroundings and 
she realized what the Ancients wrote about this place did not do 
it justice.  It was more beautiful than she had first thought.  

A soft breeze blew the emerald grass, giving the appearance of 
ocean waves.  Trees lined the field they were in and she 
wondered what could be behind those trees.  Birds sang in the 
distance and there was the faint sound of a waterfall. 

It’s gorgeous here, she thought as she stepped away from the 
gate.

“Yeah,” Rodney said, catching her off guard.  She stared at him 
as he took in the tall trees and deep blue sky.  He must have 
noticed her staring at him, for he looked at her, an eyebrow 
raised. 

“What?”

“Yeah, what?”

Rodney blinked as if not understanding what she asked.  He shook 
his head and stared at her as if ready to give a lecture. 

“You said it was gorgeous here.  I was agreeing.”

Elizabeth shook her head.  Did she say that out loud?  She shook 
her head and continued on, Rodney following beside her. 

They caught up to Sheppard and Carson in the middle of the 
clearing.  John raised an eyebrow as if he knew they were up to 
something for taking so long.  Carson also had a knowing smile 
on his face and she began to wonder what was going on.  She 
shook her head as she stood before them. 

“Well, now that we’re all here,” John said, taking his P-90 off 
his shoulder.  “Shall we head into the deep dark forest?”

“Oh, come on,” Rodney said.  “It’s not that dark and you know 
it.”

“Let’s not start, please,” Elizabeth said as she followed the 
men into the forest.  “I’ll not take any of you on a mission 
again if you do.”

“It was you idea to come with us,” John said.  “You should know 
by now we can’t keep our mouths shut.”

Elizabeth said nothing.  She knew Rodney and John’s bickering 
was good natured, but sometimes they took it too far.  She 
didn’t want to see someone storm off in this unknown wilderness 
because of hurt feelings.  It wouldn’t do for one of them to get 
lost.

“How about this one time, you try?” Elizabeth said, putting her 
no arguing voice into her words.  She raised her eyebrow for 
added effect.

John shrugged and led the way deeper into the forest.  The sound 
of the waterfall grew louder and Rodney brought out his laptop, 
turning it on.  She picked up her pace to walk beside him as he 
booted up the computer.

“We should be able to find it like the other,” he told her as 
the screen came on.  “If it’s even on this side of the 
continent.”

“Always the pessimist,” she said with a smile.  He stared at her 
as if he was about to say something then decided against it.  He 
looked at the screen, typed on the keyboard then a beeped 
sounded. 

“Picking up energy readings,” he said.  How’s that for 
pessimism.

“I was only joking, Rodney,” she said.

Rodney stared at her in surprise, blinking several times.  He 
cleared his throat and picked up his pace as if he didn’t want 
to be around her.  She watched him wondering what had set him 
off.  She sighed and followed after him.  

“It’s this way,” Rodney said, taking the lead.  “Try not to trip 
over anything this time, Sheppard.”

“Shut up,” John said, not taking the bait. 

Elizabeth took the opportunity to take in their surroundings.  
The trees were tall, blocking out the sun.  The temperature was 
nice and cool within the forest.  The breeze blew through the 
trees, causing a soothing rustle of the leaves.  She closed her 
eyes and took it all in, enjoying the calming sounds. 

“Elizabeth!” Rodney’s voice broke into her reverie, startling 
her.  She opened her eyes and saw she had fallen behind.  She 
jogged to catch up, climbing over a log that had fallen who 
knows how long ago. 

“Sorry,” she said when she caught up to them.  “I was enjoying 
the forest.”

Rodney rolled his eyes, but she saw relief in them and she was 
touched by his concern.  Maybe he felt something for her after 
all. 

He cleared his throat as if caught doing something he shouldn’t.  
He glanced at John and Carson before speaking.  “Try to keep 
up.”

Elizabeth stared at him then at John and Carson, who only 
shrugged.  She shook her head and followed them. 

What the hell was that about?  She thought as she followed them 
up a steep hill.  The rustle of dry leaves was loud in her ears 
as she trudged through them.  How much further was this place?

“Not much further,” Rodney said, stepping over what she could 
only assume was a tree root.  

The waterfall was much louder now and she saw it through the 
thinning trees.  Her breath caught in her throat as they cleared 
the trees and got their first view of the waterfall.  It was a 
monstrous curtain of water falling over a cliff thirty feet 
above them.  The thunderous roar was deafening as the water fell 
into a lagoon of deep blue. 

“Anyone for a swim?” John asked as he made his way to the edge 
of the pool. 

“We’re here for the artifact,” Rodney said, staring at his 
laptop.  “You can swim in the ocean at home if you really want 
to swim.”

“Ah, but there’s a difference between swimming in the ocean and 
a lagoon,” Sheppard said, smiling.  “This will be so much more 
pleasant.”

“Whatever,” Rodney said. “The readings are getting stronger.”

He walked passed John without glancing at him then stopped at 
the edge of the lagoon closest to the waterfall.  He looked up 
at the waterfall then at them. 

“It’s behind there,” he said, pointing toward the waterfall. 

“Looks like it is a swim,” John said, pulling off his vest and 
P-90, placing them on the ground. 

“You don’t know what’s behind that!” Rodney shouted above the 
roar.  “It could be a monster’s cave.”

“You said this place was unpopulated,” John countered as he took 
off his shirt.  

“By people!” Rodney said, standing in front of John. 

“Thanks for the concern, Rodney, but I’m going.”

Rodney through up his hands and walked away.  He stared at 
Elizabeth as he came up to her, but she had no idea what to say 
to him.  All she could do was shrug. 

“He’s only doing that to be the hero of the day,” Rodney griped 
as he placed his laptop back in his backpack.  “And he can’t 
resist being Kirk and take his shirt off.”

“Rodney, the last time you went in first without checking for 
traps you were hurt.”

“Your point?” Rodney asked, giving her his you’re an idiot look 
again. 

“You were a little overeager to burst in there and take the 
artifact.  John will be more cautious.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me?  I’m the most cautious person on 
this expedition.”

“Not when it comes to discoveries of a scientific nature,” 
Elizabeth said.

John dived into the pool and Rodney sighed, giving in for the 
moment.  She took the moment to look at him.  He wore his vest 
over his black shirt which hugged him like a second skin.  Her 
gaze slid down his body and the memories of her dreams came to 
her mind.  She quickly lifted her eyes to meet his and was 
surprised to catch him staring at her ogling at him. 

“Elizabeth?” Rodney questioned, his brilliant blue eyes sharp 
and assessing. 

Elizabeth cleared her throat and looked away, placing her hands 
behind her back.  She turned her attention to the waterfall and 
the soothing sound. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Rodney asked, bringing her attention back 
to him.  

“Very,” she whispered as she glanced at her feet.  She looked up 
to see Carson sitting on a rock beside the lagoon.  How long had 
John been gone? 

“It’s quite soothing,” Rodney said.  

She looked at him and the smoldering flame she saw in his eyes 
startled her.  She took a step back caught off guard by the 
emotion in his eyes.  He stepped closer to her and she stood her 
ground, knowing he would only keep walking her backward until 
she ran into something. 

“Rodney,” she whispered as she held up a hand.  

Rodney reached out a hand and ran it through her hair.  She 
closed her eyes, a shiver running down her spine.  She hadn’t 
expected this from him.  She didn’t think she had it in him if 
she was honest with herself.  She opened her eyes and watched as 
his eyes darkened and warmth flooded her very being.  

He leaned toward her and her heart skipped a beat then raced 
like a rabbit.  Was he going to kiss her?  

“Got it!” John’s voice snapped both of them out of the moment 
and Rodney blinked several times.  He stepped away from her and 
emptiness came over her.  

“It’s about time!” Rodney shouted, heading over to John.  “What 
took you so long?”

Elizabeth sighed as she went to see what John had found.  Would 
he have kissed her if John hadn’t interrupted?  Would he try 
again?  She shook her head, doubting it would even happen. 

“Hand it over,” Rodney said, snapping his fingers at John. 

“Aren’t we the impatient one,” John said, handing the artifact 
to Rodney. 

“You might drop it and shatter it,” the scientist said as he put 
the book-sized artifact into his backpack. 

“You’re in a mood,” John said, climbing out of the lagoon.  
“What’s up with you?”

Rodney stared at the man as he zipped up his pack.  Elizabeth 
was about to scold the two when Carson spoke.

“It’s getting late.  I think we should camp here for the night 
and leave in the morning.”

“Good idea,” Rodney said.  “I’m starving.”


~*~


Elizabeth stood staring at the waterfall, letting its peaceful 
sound wash over her.  She closed her eyes and breathed in the 
smell of moisture and fragrant flowers.  She could almost live 
here if she didn’t have so many responsibilities on Atlantis. 
The sound of footsteps brought her out of her thoughts.  She 
looked up to see Rodney standing beside her.  She smiled up at 
him his face lit by the planet’s full moon.  His nearness 
stirred her awareness and sent her pulse pounding.  She took a 
deep breath as he sat beside her. 

“Waterfall by moonlight,” he said, his voice soft. 

He looked at her and her breath caught.  He moved closer to her, 
his presence overwhelming her.  He took her mouth in a searing 
kiss that almost undid her.  He ran his fingers through her 
hair, deepening the kiss.  She gasped and his tongue dove in, 
dueling with her.  He moved her down onto the soft grass and her 
hands went under his shirt to explore.  He gasped at her touch 
and she smiled into the kiss.  It was nice to know she affected 
him as much as he affected her. 

Not content with merely touching him with her hands, Elizabeth 
pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside.  She ran her 
hands along chest, causing him to moan into the kiss.  He 
trailed kisses along her jawline to her neck and she tilted her 
head back, offering herself to him. 

Before she knew it, her shirt was gone followed by her bra, 
joining his clothes on the ground nearby.  She stared into his 
eyes as he took her in, sending a fire to rage inside her.  Soon 
the rest of their clothes piled on the forest floor. 

“Rodney,” she whispered, bringing his attention back to her.  
She pulled him down for another kiss as her hands explored more 
of him. 

Rodney posed above her, looking into her eyes as if to see if 
this was what she wanted. She saw the desire in his eyes as well 
as passion and love.  She opened her thighs for him and that 
seemed to be all the encouragement he needed.  He took her mouth 
once again as he thrust inside her.  They both moaned at the 
feeling of being one and held there for several moments, 
enjoying it.  He then began to slowly move inside her as he 
deepened the kiss.   

Elizabeth matched his motions with her own. She wrapped her legs 
around his waist, pulling him deeper inside her. She arched up 
into him, giving more of herself to him.  He answered with 
passion as he took a breast into his mouth and thrust deeper 
inside of her. She closed her eyes and moaned his name, not 
caring who heard. 

He thrust faster inside her as he felt himself nearing the edge. 
He had thought that he was taking her to new heights, but 
instead, they were both going there. He felt himself going 
higher and higher with each thrust and moan. He could feel her 
muscles gathering tighter around him as they both reached their 
climax. 

“Elizabeth!”

“Rodney!”

Elizabeth stared in shock as her name echoed in her ears.  She 
looked at Rodney, who stared back at her with the same 
expression of shock.  She moved her gaze from him to the other 
two, who were also gazing at them in surprise. 

“What happened?” She asked, turning her eyes to Rodney.  He 
continued to stare at her, ignoring their audience. 

“Did you have a dream?” Rodney asked, his voice shaky.

Elizabeth nodded, not knowing where this was going. 

“What was it about?”

She cleared her throat and glanced at the two men on the other 
side of the fire.  She stared at her hands, not really wanting 
to have anyone hear about her dreams. 

“You. Me. This clearing.”

“Oh crap,” Rodney said.  

“What?”

“I had the same dream,” he said, not at all happy.  She folded 
her arms across her chest.  Not exactly the reaction I would 
have gone for. 

“Well, too bad,” he said, not missing a beat.  She stared at him 
as he glared at her.  She blinked a few times as he continued.  
“How long have you had them?”

Elizabeth cleared her throat.  I could ask you the same. 
“Later.  Answer my question first.”

“For the past week,” she answered, staring at him.  Was he 
reading her mind?  “How long have you had them?”

“Longer than you,” he answered.  “And I didn’t want you to know 
about them, either.”

“You’ve been dreaming about me?” Elizabeth asked, surprised.  
“It was me all this time?”

“Yes,” Rodney answered glaring at her with impatience.  

Elizabeth smiled as warmth filled her.  He had been dreaming 
about her the entire time.  Well that answers that question.

“How many do you have?” Rodney asked.

“How can you read my mind?” Elizabeth asked.

“He’s reading your mind?” Carson asked, surprised.  “And I 
thought sharing the same dream was weird.”

“Go away, Carson,” Rodney said, his gaze locked on Elizabeth. 

“Like I’m going anywhere in this creepy forest.”

“I think I was able to read your mind since the first artifact.  
I dialed the gate and I could hear what you were thinking.”

“I can hear yours as well,” Elizabeth said, recalling the 
moments she thought he spoke when he hadn’t. 

“I wonder why,” Rodney said thoughtfully. 

“Ponder it tomorrow,” John said.  “Some of us want to sleep.”

“Fine,” Rodney grumbled as he settled back down.  

Elizabeth watched him, the revelations playing through her mind.  
He could hear her thoughts and she could hear his. 

I wonder how it happened, she thought as a new awareness washed 
over her. 

“Answer tomorrow,” Rodney said in a sleepy voice.  She smiled, 
shaking her head as she lied back down beside him.  Tomorrow 
would defiantly bring answers. 



Chapter Eleven




The next morning brought awkwardness as well as a beautiful 
landscape.  Rodney glanced over at Elizabeth as she picked up 
her pack.  Of all the things he would have thought on how she 
would react to his interest in her, her having the same damn 
dreams was not one of them.  He shook his head and pulled on his 
vest as he stood.  

Mustn’t forget about the reading thoughts thing, he thought then 
groaned, knowing she probably heard that.  He looked over at her 
and saw a smile on her lips as she kicked dirt on the dying 
fire.  Yep, she heard it. 

“Let’s move out,” John said and led the way back to the gate. 

Rodney walked beside Elizabeth, but the discomfort only 
increased.  He had never been tongue-tied around her, if 
anything he talked more.  He had never been uncomfortable around 
her either or this unsure of himself.  He didn’t know what to 
say to her and it frustrated him. 

I almost kissed her!  He suddenly realized.  He groaned for both 
that fact and knowing Elizabeth heard his thought.  He closed 
his eyes and ran his hand over his face.  He had to find out how 
this happened and fix it. 

They entered the forest and the coolness soothed Rodney. Birds 
sang in the canopy overhead and he relaxed.  He looked over at 
Elizabeth, who took in their surroundings.  She looked 
beautiful, a serene expression on her face. He wanted to kiss 
her then and strode closer to her. 

“Think we can visit this place again?” He asked.

Elizabeth turned her brilliant smile on him and his heart 
stopped then sped up.  “Of course.”

“Good, cause I was thinking about maybe a summer home over by 
the lagoon.”

“Sounds nice, but you might not get to live it in long.”

“Yeah, we tend to have a crisis nearly every week on Atlantis.  
It was a nice thought, though.”

Elizabeth laughed and Rodney smiled, the sound warming him to 
his very bones.  He really wanted to kiss her then.  He looked 
over at her and she stumbled over a tree root. He caught her 
before she fell and the feeling of her in his arms nearly undid 
him.  The last time he held her was nearly three years ago 
during a storm.  It was the only memory of that night he wanted 
to remember. 

“Are you all right?” Rodney asked as she steadied herself, her 
hands wrapped around his forearms.  She looked up at him and his 
breath caught at the expression in her green eyes. He felt 
himself falling into those eyes and he couldn’t hold himself 
back any longer. 

“I’m fine,” Elizabeth said, her voice unsteady.  

Rodney moved his hands up her arms as he stared into her ever 
darkening eyes.  

He’s going to kiss me, he heard Elizabeth’s thought.

“Oh, yeah,” he whispered as he buried his hands in her hair.

“Will you two hurry up!” Sheppard’s voice startled them. 

“Damn it,” Rodney grumbled as he backed away from her.  
Emptiness washed over him as he gazed at her.  He wanted her so 
much, he could taste it.

“We should catch up,” Elizabeth said as she walked away. 

“Right,” he whispered and followed her.

“What were you two doing?” Sheppard asked when they caught up.

“I think they were kissing,” Carson said with a self-satisfied 
smile on his face. 

“Shut up, Carson,” Rodney said as he trudged past them, his 
anger taking over the bleakness he felt.  Why couldn’t Sheppard 
leave them alone?  It was almost as if he didn’t want them to 
kiss. 

He shook himself out of that thought.  Wasn’t Sheppard the one 
that had tried to get him to tell Elizabeth about his feelings 
for her?    

“Slow down, Rodney!” Sheppard shouted from behind.  

Rodney stopped and turned, not in the mood for a lecture from 
him on off-world safety.  He glared at Sheppard as the rest of 
the group came up the hill. 

“Happy now?  I stopped,” he said, folding his arms across his 
chest. 

“I can see that,” Sheppard returned. “We need to stay together. 
No wandering off or staying behind to admire the scenery.”

“I am not one of your sergeants who have never been off world 
before,” Rodney shot back.  “Besides, there isn’t anyone on this 
planet!”

A shot echoed through the forest, startling everyone.  Rodney 
ducked and glanced around, wondering where it had come from.  
His gaze fell on Elizabeth lying prone on the ground.

“Elizabeth!”  He got to his feet and ran down the hill to her 
side, dread filling his very being. 

“Look out!” Sheppard shouted.

Rodney looked up and saw several people coming out from behind 
the trees.  Most of the natives, if that was who they were, had 
guns aimed at them while others held bows and arrows. He glared 
at them, anger simmering within. 

“Rodney,” Elizabeth whispered and he turned his attention to 
her.  Relief she was alive overwhelmed him.  He looked her over 
as Carson knelt beside her. 

“The bullet hit her shoulder,” Carson said.

“Thanks, I can see that,” Rodney bit out.  The blood from the 
wound terrified him and he hoped it looked worse than it really 
was.  He didn’t know what he’d do if anything happened to her. 

“You’re going to be all right,” he said, taking hold of her 
hand.  “Carson will fix you up and you’ll be good as new.”

“Rodney,” she whispered and fear coursed through him.  Did she 
even know he was here?  He squeezed her hand, hoping to get her 
attention. 

“I’m here,” he said, trying to get closer to her without lying 
next to her.  “We’ll get you back to Atlantis.”

Elizabeth looked at him, but he doubted she actually saw him.  
He squeezed her hand again and ran his other hand through her 
hair.  

“We need to take the jacket off, so I can get at the wound,” 
Carson said.  “Rodney.”

“Elizabeth,” Rodney said, the panic starting to build.  “Say 
something!”

Elizabeth closed her eyes and went limp.  He stared at her, not 
believing what he saw.  He checked for a pulse, ignoring the 
people as they slowly crept closer.  He hardly noticed Sheppard 
standing over them.  All he saw was Elizabeth, unconscious and 
probably dying. 

“Elizabeth, wake up,” Rodney said, taking her face in his hands. 
This couldn’t be happening, not when he was about to tell her 
how he felt.  “Please, wake up.”

“I need to look at her wound, Rodney,” Carson said, trying to 
pry him away from Elizabeth.  “Move, lad.”

Rodney stood and glared at the people as they slowly gathered 
around them.  He drew his gun, aiming it at the nearest threat. 

“Rodney,” Sheppard warned.

“They shot her for no reason,” Rodney replied sharply. “They’re 
going to pay for that.”

“Put the gun down, McKay.”

Rodney narrowed his eyes and pulled the trigger.  The report 
rang in his ears and one of the natives fell to the ground.  The 
people paused and stared at the body in surprise.  They looked 
back at him, their weapons aimed at him. 

“Just try it,” he sneered as he took aim again.

“McKay!” Sheppard shouted.  “I don’t think that’s helping.”

“I don’t care!” Rodney said and began shooting. 

The natives returned fire and he barely heard Sheppard curse as 
he opened fire.  A bullet whistled by Rodney and he ducked, 
backing away toward the nearest tree.  He saw Carson drag 
Elizabeth to safety and a brief moment of relief went through 
him.  It vanished just as quickly when a bullet hit the side of 
the tree he was behind, sending bark flying. He moved behind the 
tree and reloaded. 

“We have to get to the gate!” Sheppard called from another tree 
across from him. 

“Nice plan, Sheppard!” Rodney shouted as he fired at the 
natives.  “Shall we run now?”

Rodney ducked as an arrow zipped over his head.  He fired off 
two more shots then moved behind the tree as bullets rained 
around him. 

“Carson, get Elizabeth back to the gate,” Rodney shouted into 
his headset as he returned fire.  “We’ll keep them busy.”

“I don’t think that’s possible, son,” Carson replied.

“Why not?” Rodney asked, fear making his heart race.

“Cause we have a problem.”

Rodney stopped firing and looked over to where Carson had taken 
Elizabeth behind a tree on the other side of Sheppard.  His 
heart stopped when he saw two men aiming their weapons at Carson 
and Elizabeth.  

“No,” he whispered then shouted at Sheppard.  “They have 
Elizabeth!”

Sheppard stopped firing and stared at him, his eyes narrowed. He 
looked behind him and saw what Rodney had seen.  

“Let them go!” Sheppard said as he held up his hands.  “She’s 
wounded and he needs to take care of her.”

“Lower you weapons,” the larger of the two men said, his voice a 
growl. 

Rodney lowered his weapon.  He didn’t want Elizabeth to be hurt 
any further.  

“You’re coming with us,” the smaller man said, walking toward 
them.  “Hand over you weapons and no one else will be hurt.”

Rodney dropped his on the ground, not wanting to make it easy 
for the man.  He glared at the native as the man bent down and 
picked up the gun.  He fought the urge to kick the man in the 
head as he folded his arms across his chest. 

“Follow me,” he said as he pointed his bow at Rodney. “The 
others will follow shortly.”

“I’m not going anywhere without her,” Rodney snapped.

“You will if you want her to live,” the man said and nodded 
toward the larger man.

Rodney watched horror as the larger man yanked on Elizabeth’s 
hair, pulling her head back.  His heart raced in fear and he 
raised his hands in surrender.

“Don’t hurt her,” he said, keeping his eyes on Elizabeth.  “I’ll 
follow.”

“Good,” the man said, obviously the leader.  He pointed with his 
arrow toward the group of people and Rodney took a last look at 
Elizabeth before he walked toward who knew where. 











 








Chapter Twelve





Elizabeth opened her eyes to find herself in what appeared to be 
a room of some kind.  She glanced around, her gaze taking in the 
bare walls, the chairs and a window to her right.  The bed she 
was on was comfortable, but small.  She tried to sit up, but 
Carson placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“Easy, lass,” the doctor said softly.  “You’ve been shot. I was 
able to get the bullet out no thanks to our hosts.”

“Hosts?” Elizabeth asked, confused.  All she remembered was 
Rodney arguing with John.

“Apparently there are people on this planet,” John said as he 
sat on the edge of the bed, his arms folded.  “They shot you and 
captured us.”

“But not before Rodney shot some of them,” Carson added.

Elizabeth’s eyes widened and she looked around the room.  Rodney 
was nowhere to be seen.  Worry built inside her and her heart 
pounded in her chest.

“Where is he?”

“We don’t know,” John answered.  “They took him alone.  We don’t 
know where they’re keeping him.”

“Or if he’ll be returned to us,” Carson said as he checked the 
bandage on her shoulder. 

“Let’s hope he will be,” Elizabeth whispered, not liking the 
idea of Rodney with these people alone.  If they shot her for no 
apparent reason there was no telling what they would do to him.  
She sighed and closed her eyes, leaning back against the 
pillows.  At least they were kind enough to give them a room 
instead of some cell. 

The door opened and Elizabeth sat up, hoping to see Rodney walk 
through.  Instead, a giant of a man entered the room, glaring at 
all of them as he shut the door behind him.  Anger radiated off 
him and Elizabeth’s heart pounded.  She feared for Rodney if 
this man was anywhere near him.  What did this man want with 
them and why did they attack?

“Who are you?” John asked, standing. 
 
The man stared at John, his eyes practically glowing with rage. 
Elizabeth pushed herself back as far as the bed would allow her 
to go. She doubted it was possible to reason with this man in 
letting them go. 

“I am Avar, chief of the Yutan,” the man said.  “You are 
trespassing on our land.”

“We didn’t know anyone was on this planet,” John said.  “We were 
leaving when you attacked.”

“You were still trespassing,” Avar growled as he stepped closer.  

“Where’s Rodney?” Elizabeth asked before the situation escalated 
any further. 

Avar stared at her and she fought the urge to look away. She 
wasn’t about to let this man intimidate her any more.  She 
wanted Rodney back, now.

“The man who shot my father,” Avar said, snarling,  “is dead.”

Elizabeth stared at Avar, her heart sinking.  Rodney couldn’t be 
dead.  She refused to believe it.  She took a deep breath and 
shook her head, her eyes narrow. 

“I don’t believe you,” she said, keeping herself calm as 
possible. 

Avar sneered, an ugly expression on the man’s handsome face.  
“Believe what you want, but it is true.  It is our punishment 
for killing another. You will be released soon since you pose no 
threat to us.”

“We didn’t pose a threat to you to start with,” John said, 
barely contained rage in his voice. 

Avar only smiled then turned and left the room.  A collective 
sigh of relief filled the room.  Tears stung Elizabeth’s eyes, 
but she blinked them back.  Rodney wasn’t dead and she would 
continue to believe that. 

“We have to get out of here,” she said.  “We need to find 
Rodney.”

“We will,” John said, pacing the room.  “Don’t worry.”

“I can’t help, but worry,” Elizabeth whispered as she closed her 
eyes and focused on Rodney’s mind.  If she could contact him and 
let him know she was all right, then maybe they would both feel 
better. 

Rodney, she thought.  Where are you?  Please answer me. 

“Elizabeth?” Carson asked, placing a hand on her arm.  “What are 
you doing?”

Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked at Carson’s concerned face.  
She looked at both of them, each with a concerned expression on 
their faces. 

“I was trying to contact Rodney,” she answered with a sigh.  “I 
thought maybe I could reach him.  Let him know we’re all right.”

“You need to rest,” Carson said softly.  “Let us take of things 
for a change.”

Elizabeth smiled, but she was still worried about Rodney.  If 
she couldn’t contact him then either he was out of range or he 
was unconscious. 

Or dead, whispered another part of her brain.  She pushed the 
thought away, knowing it wouldn’t help Rodney.  She had to think 
positive for both their sakes. 

“I’ll see if I can’t get the door open,” John said, heading 
toward the door.  He jiggled the handle and Elizabeth heard the 
click of a locked door.  “Looks like I get to pick it.”

“Hurry,” Elizabeth said as she watched John pull out some picks 
from his vest and knelt before the door.  Carson stayed near 
her, which she was thankful for.  She needed a calming influence 
right now with the growing fear that Rodney was dead.

“Hang on,” John said as he worked the lock. 

Rodney, it’s Elizabeth, she tried again.  Please answer me.

Tears stung her eyes when there wasn’t an answer.  Fear and 
dread filled her being and she began to think Rodney really was 
dead.  Wouldn’t he have answered by now if he was able? 

“Elizabeth?” Carson’s voice interrupted her thoughts.  She 
looked up at him and realized her face was wet.  She ran a hand 
along her face and noticed she had been crying. 

“What if he’s dead?” She said, her voice cracking.  

“You can’t think like that,” Carson said, squeezing her hand.  
“Avar was lying in order to get at you; to keep you from wanting 
to escape.  Rodney’s somewhere here alive and we’ll find him.  
You have to believe that.”

“I can’t lose him,” she whispered as John finally unlocked the 
door.  He stood with a grin on his face and opened the door to 
blackness. 

“You won’t, Elizabeth,” Carson told her as he helped her off the 
bed.  “He’ll be fine.”

“Let’s get out of here,” John said and entered the darkness. 

Elizabeth took a deep breath and followed John down the dark 
hallway.  Her eyes adjusted to the dimness and she saw doors on 
either side of the hall.  She heard their footsteps on hardwood 
flooring and hoped no one was nearby to hear them.  The moon 
shown through a window at the far end of the hallway and below 
it was a staircase leading down.  

“I bet that leads to the way out,” John whispered as they headed 
toward the staircase.  “Let’s find Rodney and get out of here.”

Elizabeth wished they could hurry up, but she knew they needed 
to go slowly.  There was a possibility of guards nearby and they 
had to be quiet.  It didn’t help her nerves, though. 

John held up a hand when they neared the bottom of the stairs.  
He slowly stepped forward, looking this way and that.  Her pulse 
raced as John motioned for them to follow.  She took a deep 
breath and stepped into a dimly lit dining room.  A long table 
stood in the center of the room and an open doorway was on the 
other side.  

Where is everyone?  Elizabeth thought as she peered into the 
darkness. 

“Look what I found,” John said as he strode to the far side of 
the wall.  “A torch.”

“Good, I’m getting sick of the dark,” Carson said as John pulled 
the torch from its holder and pulled out a lighter from a vest 
pocket.  He lit the torch and Elizabeth blinked against the 
brightness. 

“That’s better,” John said and led the way into the next room. 

The torch showed the room was small.  There weren’t any windows 
or another way out of the room.  A sense of the walls closing in 
crept over Elizabeth at the thought. A wooden table was placed 
in the center of the room and someone was on it.  John stepped 
closer and the light from the torch fell on the person and 
Elizabeth gasped. 

“Rodney,” she whispered in shock.  She made her way toward the 
table and saw he was strapped onto it.  He was clothed only in 
his boxers.  His body was covered in cuts and bruises and she 
looked away, not able to stand seeing him like this. 

“He’s alive,” Carson said, and relief swept over her. 

“Get him out of there,” she said, not wanting any of them to 
stay in this place much longer.  

John and Carson untied Rodney and lifted him off the table.  
Elizabeth closed her eyes, calming herself.  She led the way out 
of the room and back into the dining room.  She held the torch 
high as she went to her right through the dining room.  She 
caught a glimpse of wooden walls and more scones.  She found 
another doorway and went through it, both grateful and nervous 
there weren’t any guards.  Where had they all gone?

“Where is the front door to this place?” John griped.  “He’s 
getting heavy.”

“I see it,” Elizabeth said, seeing the most moonlight she had 
seen up ahead.  “This way.”

She led the way through a short hall, keeping her eyes on the 
silver light shining through a large doorway.  Her heart raced 
in both dread and excitement at the fact they were about to 
escape so easily.  She opened the door, letting John and Carson 
to carry Rodney out first.  She followed behind, quietly closing 
the door behind her.  She allowed herself a brief sigh of relief 
before she hurried after the men. 

Can you here me? Elizabeth tried.  Please answer me.

Still no answer.  What did they do to him?

Elizabeth ignored the buildings around her as she followed John 
and Carson into the forest.  She took one last look at the two 
story house behind her, not wanting to ever see it again.  She 
turned and jogged into the woods. 

She found John and Carson placing Rodney on the ground up 
against a tree.  Carson knelt beside him, checking his pulse. 

“How is he?” Elizabeth asked, worry filling her once again. 

“We need to get him to Atlantis,” Carson answered.  

Elizabeth nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat.  John and 
Carson lifted Rodney up and carried him deeper into the forest.  
She followed after them, hoping the gate wasn’t far. 

~*~

Elizabeth paced outside the infirmary waiting on the results 
from Carson.  Her wound had been cleaned and tended to by a 
nurse as Carson put all his concentration on healing Rodney.  
She hadn’t been able to keep her eyes off Rodney’s battered body 
and she feared the worst. She knew, though Carson wouldn’t rest 
until his patient was good as new. 

“Elizabeth,” John’s voice startled her, but she was grateful for 
the interruption of her dark thoughts. 

“John,” she said, placing her hands behind her back. 

“How’re you doing?”

Elizabeth sighed and looked at the floor.  “Physically, I’m 
fine.  Emotionally, I’m a wreck.”

“Rodney will be fine,” John said, stepping closer.  “He has the 
best doctor in this galaxy working on him.”

Elizabeth raised her eyes and smiled, knowing it was true.  “I 
still worry about him.”

“No one is telling you to stop,” John stated, leaning against 
the wall.  “Hell, someone has to.”

“Just don’t let him know.”

The doors to the infirmary opened and Carson stepped out, his 
eyes tired and his face haggard.

“Carson?” Elizabeth asked.

“Let’s not ever go to that planet again,” Carson said with a 
heavy sigh.

“What did they do?” John asked as he pushed himself from the 
wall.

“What didn’t they do?” Carson answered.  “The bruises hid the 
worst of it.  He was beaten nearly to death, stabbed twice and 
cut everywhere else.  I was able to stop the internal bleeding 
and put him in a medically induced coma to help him heal.”

Elizabeth closed her eyes against the sudden dizziness sweeping 
over her.  A hand fell on her shoulder and she opened her eyes 
to see Carson beside her. 

“Are you all right?”

Elizabeth took a deep breath and nodded.  “Can I see him?”

“Of course,” Carson said and led the way into the infirmary. 
“But you need to rest as soon as possible.  I don’t need both of 
you in here.”

She braced herself for what she was about to see, but it still 
didn’t help.  Her stomach and heart both fell to her feet at the 
sight before her.  She swallowed passed the lump in her throat 
as she gazed at Rodney lying in the hospital bed.  There was a 
cut on his lower lip and a bruise around his left eye turning 
purple.  

“Rodney,” she whispered as she ran a hand through his hair.  
“I’m so sorry.”

Her gaze fell on the blanket that hid the rest of the wounds, 
but she knew what they looked like.  She knew she would never 
get the image of the blood and bruises out of her head. 

“He’ll recover,” Carson said behind her.  “He’s too strong 
willed not to.”

Elizabeth nodded, but it was still hard to see him like this.  
She sighed and turned.  “Keep me posted.”

“As always.”

She left the infirmary, tears building in her eyes. 
































Chapter Thirteen




Elizabeth sat in her office, staring at the computer screen 
before her.  It had been two days since they had escaped from 
the Yutan’s planet.  Two days since Rodney had been put into a 
coma.  He was healing and Elizabeth was grateful for the good 
news. 

She sighed as she played Solitaire on the computer.  Waiting was 
the hardest part.  She wanted so much to talk to him about their 
shared dreams.  They needed to finish the conversation they had 
on the planet before they were attacked.  She needed to tell him 
how she felt.  She had an inkling of how he felt and the 
knowledge sent her pulse quickening. 

“Dr. Weir,” Elizabeth looked up and saw Radek Zelenka hurry into 
her office.  John followed behind him and she raised an eyebrow.

“What is it?” She asked, pushing her laptop to the side. 

“We analyzed the cube some more,” Zelenka answered.  “We learned 
it can only be activated by someone with the gene.”

“Which Rodney has,” Elizabeth said as she leaned forward on her 
desk, hands folded on the top.  “What does it do?”

“It’s a love cube,” John said with a smirk.  “Apparently even 
the Ancients had trouble finding love.”

Zelenka stared at John for a moment, shook his head then 
continued.  “It only worked when you touched it.  It allowed you 
to share his dreams and read his thoughts.”

“It glowed as well,” Elizabeth mentioned, wondering if the 
feelings she felt were only because of the cube. 

“It was working,” Zelenka said.  “It has the ability to sense 
those that need a bit of a push to get together.”

Elizabeth stared at the scientist then at John.  She blinked and 
sat back in her chair, not knowing what to think about that. 

“Are you saying it would only work if someone had feelings for 
the person already?”

“Hidden feelings,” Zelenka said.  “Unspoken.  That’s what the 
translation on the cube says.  It’s not to make you fall in 
love, but to bring love out.”

Elizabeth shook her head, the weight of what she learned 
overwhelming.  She knew she had always felt something for 
Rodney, she didn’t know how strong it really was.

Or that I’ve been hiding it, she thought.

“Is there a way to stop it?  I can’t be having his dreams or 
always hearing his thoughts.”

“Sorry,” Zelenka said softly.  “Haven’t gotten that far in the 
testing.”

“How about you admit you love him?” John asked.

Elizabeth stared at John, surprise preventing her from speaking.  
She didn’t think she was ready for that, but she knew Rodney 
probably wanted to hear it. 

“When he’s awake,” she heard herself say.

John nodded.  “I’m sure he’d love to hear it.”

She smiled slightly as the two left her office.  She sighed and 
looked down into the control room.  


~*~

Rodney opened his eyes to a blurry room.  He blinked several 
times as his vision cleared.  He groaned when he found himself 
in the infirmary.  

“Welcome back,” Elizabeth’s voice caught his attention.

He looked over to his left and saw her sitting beside him.  She 
smiled at him and his heart skipped a beat.  Memory returned to 
him and he glanced at her shoulder.  He narrowed his eyes as 
anger filled him.

“Are you all right?” Rodney asked, his voice clipped.  He stared 
at her as she looked at her hands.

“I should be asking you that,” she said.  She took a breath and 
turned her green gaze on him.  “We found you nearly beaten to 
death in the Yutan’s village.” 

“So that’s what they’re called,” he said.  “Did they mention why 
they shot you?”

“For trespassing,” she answered.  “They said you killed their 
leader.  His son took up that post and captured all of us.”

Rodney closed his eyes as the memories of being taken into that 
house flashed before him.  The cold metal of the slab seeped 
into his being and he shivered.  A warm hand fell over his face 
and he opened his eyes.  Concerned eyes filled his vision and he 
offered her a smile. 

“They hurt you.  I wasn’t going to let them get away with that,” 
he said finally.  “Course, they had us outnumbered and they 
threatened you.”

“It’s all right, Rodney,” Elizabeth said, softly.  “We’re safe 
now and back on Atlantis.”

Rodney sighed, the truth of that statement sinking in.  He was 
safe and Elizabeth was safe.  Things were back to normal or as 
normal as it could get on Atlantis. 

“Zelenka figure out about the cube and our dreams,” Elizabeth 
said.

Rodney opened his eyes and stared at her, an eyebrow raised.  
“Really?”

“He said that the cube was programmed to bring people together.  
If two people care about each, but are afraid to admit it to the 
other, the cube does it for them.”

“What do you mean?”

Elizabeth sighed and stared at her hands.  “It gave me those 
dreams and let us hear each other’s thoughts.  When you touched 
it, it must have downloaded what you felt and thought and sent 
it to me when I touched it.”

“So we’re doomed to hear each other’s thoughts and dreams unless 
we do something about it.”

She nodded and looked at him, her eyes dark with an emotion that 
sent his pulse racing.  He cleared his throat and tried to push 
himself up, but winced at the pain rushing through him.  

“You should take it easy,” Elizabeth said, her hand on his 
shoulder.  “You were barely alive when we found you.  I thought 
we were going to lose you.”

You won’t be getting rid of me that easily, he thought and he 
heard her laugh. 

“I don’t want to get rid of you,” she said with a smile.  “We’re 
stuck together.”

“That’s good to hear,” Rodney said.

“Good,” she said, running her fingers through his hair.  He 
closed his eyes at the sensation, electricity jolting through 
him. A moment later, soft lips pressed against his.  His eyes 
flew open in surprise.

She’s kissing me! Rodney thought, not caring that she heard what 
he thought. 

Elizabeth smiled against his mouth then pulled away.  The 
emotion returned to her eyes.  Warmth flooded his being and 
before he knew what he was doing, he pulled her against him, 
taking her mouth with his. 

He heard a moan, but didn’t know who it came from.  He didn’t 
care as he deepened the kiss, his hands burying themselves in 
her hair.  She opened her mouth and his tongue danced with hers.  
Her hands roamed down his chest and a shiver went through him. 

A throat being cleared sent them flying apart.  Rodney glared at 
the intruder even as he basked in the knowledge that he had 
finally kissed Elizabeth for real.

“What do you want, Radek?” Rodney snapped irritated with the 
man. 

Zelenka cleared his throat again and adjusted his glasses.  
Rodney rolled his eyes at the man’s nervousness, but Radek 
finally spoke. 
“We put the artifacts together…”

“You did what?” Rodney asked, stunned.  “Without me?”

“You weren’t available and the doctor said to wait.  So we 
waited.  Now I’m telling you what we discovered.”

“Well, get on with it.”

Radek looked to Elizabeth who shrugged.  “Go ahead.”

“A hologram appeared and spoke of another address.  It mentioned 
the power source at it can be found there.”

“About time,” Rodney said, trying again to sit up.  He winced 
and sighed.  “Where is it and can we go there?”

“Colonel Sheppard’s team is ready to go as soon as Dr. Weir 
wants them to go.”

“I’m on Sheppard’s team!” Rodney said, finally sitting up 
despite the pain.  “I should be going as well.”

 Elizabeth put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down.  
He stared at her, a retort on his tongue, but the concern in her 
eyes stopped him.  He sighed, knowing what she’d say before she 
said it.

“You were in a coma, Rodney,” she said softly.  “You’re not 
going anywhere.”

Rodney stared at the ceiling, fighting the urge to complain.  
She was right.  He was still in pain from what those barbarians 
did to him.  He doubted he’d be of much help anyway.  He sighed, 
folding his arms across his chest.

“Fine,” he grumbled.  “I’ll stay here.”

“Good,” Elizabeth said and he heard the smile in her voice.  He 
looked at her, shaking his head.

“I am so screwed,” he said, bringing a laugh from her.

~*~

“What do you mean there’s nothing there?” Rodney yelled, not 
caring how many people heard.  “Did you even go to the right 
planet?”

“Yes, Rodney, we went to the right planet,” Sheppard said, 
glowering down at him.  He glared right back, too angry to be 
intimidated by John.  Course, he’d never been intimidated by 
him.  “We followed the directions the hologram provided, but 
there was nothing there.  It’s gone.”

Rodney sighed.  If only he wasn’t stuck in this bed, he’d go 
himself.  He promised Elizabeth and he hurt too damn much to do 
so.  He grumbled to himself which caused Sheppard to smirk. 

“Oh, you just love this, don’t you?” Rodney snapped.  “I’m stuck 
here and you get to fly all over the galaxy.”

“Well, it was nice not hearing you complain the whole time.”

“See if I save your butt next time.”

“Enough, both of you,” Elizabeth said, bringing their attention 
to her.  Rodney almost forgot she was in the room.  Only her 
nearness told him she was there.  She held his hand and he 
squeezed hers, letting her know he was thankful she was there. 

“She’s right,” Carson said, stepping in front of Sheppard, 
successfully pushing him out of the way.  “Rodney needs to 
rest.”

“His mouth seems to be fine,” Sheppard put in.

“John,” Elizabeth said in a warning tone.

“Elizabeth, he knows I’m kidding.  He’s used to it.”

“One can only take so much kidding,” Carson put in, finished 
with checking Rodney’s vitals.  “You both need to leave, so he 
can get some sleep.”

“Right,” Elizabeth said, standing.  She offered Rodney a smile, 
which he returned.  “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Thanks,” Rodney whispered as Elizabeth led Sheppard out of the 
infirmary. 





Chapter Fourteen 




Rodney strode into Elizabeth’s office.  She looked up from her 
laptop and smiled at him.  He returned her smile, his heart 
racing at the beautiful woman before him.  He closed the gap 
between them as she stood. 

“You’re looking better,” she said as she came around her desk.  
“How are you feeling?”

“Much better,” he said, itching to touch her.  

“Good,” Elizabeth said, her voice breathless.  “I’m glad.”

Rodney stepped closer and stared into her eyes.  They were dark 
with emotion and his arousal grew.  His mouth became dry and his 
heart raced.  Not able to stand it any longer, he pulled her 
into his arms and pressed his lips against hers.  She melted 
into him, opening her mouth to him.  He took that as invitation 
and thrust his tongue into her mouth.  Their moans blended 
together, sending fire burning through him. 

Elizabeth’s fingers ran through his hair, sending chills down 
his spine.  He walked her back until she bent over her desk.  He 
trailed kisses down her face and neck as her hands traveled down 
his back. 

“Rodney,” she whispered and he groaned at the sensations her 
voice caused. 

Rodney ran his hands into her dark tresses. He pulled her closer 
to him, tasting her as their tongues danced together. He moaned 
into the kiss as his arousal grew. He moved his lips to her jaw 
then her neck. He heard her moan his name as he felt her hands 
move over his chest. 

Elizabeth pulled Rodney's shirt off, tossing it to the floor. 
She then ran her hands over his chest savoring the feel of his 
skin. She moved her lips to his jawline where she began to first 
lick then nibble. 

He stared into her eyes which were now as dark as a forest at 
night. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deeply.

Elizabeth frantically unbuttoned his pants as she returned his 
kiss.  

Rodney tugged her top off, and tossed it aside. Her pants were 
next, followed by her bra and underwear. He took a breast in his 
mouth as Elizabeth removed his underwear. He stood up then and 
stepped out of the pool of clothes at his feet.  He pushed her 
laptop to the side and carefully lifted Elizabeth off the floor> 
He gently lied her down on the desk.  He stared deep into her 
eyes as he stroked her face.

A sudden wave of tenderness came over Rodney at that moment. He 
had never loved her more than at this moment. He bent 
down and gently kissed her on the lips. The kiss became deeper, 
but no less gentle. He kissed every part of her face as she 
moaned his name. 

"Take me, Rodney. Now," Elizabeth breathed into his ear.

Rodney growled in response as he moved her legs apart. He
slowly entered her, causing her to moan with pleasure.

Elizabeth wrapped her legs around his waist as he began to move 
inside her. Rodney increased his tempo as Elizabeth's muscles 
tightened around him. He kissed her on the lips, cheek, and 
neck. He returned to her mouth as he felt himself draw closer to 
the edge. Elizabeth dug her nails into his skin as his thrusts 
came faster. Suddenly, she screamed his name almost making 
Rodney wince. He thrust into her one last time before he 
released into her.

Rodney woke up in darkness, the silence almost deafening.  All 
he heard was his heavy breathing, his heart pounding in his 
chest.  He ran a hand through his hair, wondering if Elizabeth 
had the same dream.

Yes, came his answer and he sighed. 

Sorry, he thought as he lied back against the pillows.  I can’t 
help it.

It’s all right, Elizabeth said, a smile in her voice.  It only 
proves to me how much you care. 

Rodney groaned, wishing he could sink deeper into the bed.  He 
heard her laughter and he only groaned again.

“Are you all right, Rodney?” Carson’s voice brought his 
attention to where he was.  He opened his eyes, blinking against 
the brightness of the room.  He groaned again, wanting the 
darkness back.

“I’m fine,” Rodney grumbled as Carson checked him over.  “Just 
talking to Elizabeth.”

“You can still hear her thoughts?”

“And share the same dream,” Rodney said, wanting to sink into 
the floor again.  “There has to be something we can do.  We 
can’t keep this up.”

“Tell her how you feel, Rodney.  You should have done it the 
first time.”

Rodney shook his head. He knew Carson was right and he needed to 
tell Elizabeth.  He knew she probably figured out how he felt 
about her, but saying it meant more.  He sighed and nodded.

“Good,” Carson said, smiling.  

“When can I get out of here?” Rodney asked, holding back the 
irritation from his voice.

“In a couple of days, if you behave.”

Rodney rolled his eyes, closing them as Carson left. 

~*~

Rodney opened his eyes again to see Elizabeth sitting beside 
him.  She was beautiful, like an angel watching over him.  He 
reached out to her and she took his hand in hers.  She squeezed 
it as she leaned closer to him. 

“How are you feeling?”  She asked softly. 

“Much better, now that you’re here,” he answered returning her 
squeeze. 

Elizabeth smiled and the warmth flooded his body.  He would 
never get enough of her and he didn’t want to. 
“I love you, Elizabeth,” he said softly.

Elizabeth squeezed his hand again and he smiled, feeling on top 
of the world. 

~*~

Three days later, Rodney was released from the infirmary much to 
both Carson and Rodney’s relief.  He felt better than he had in 
months and he had Elizabeth to thank for that.  He smiled of the 
thought of going to see her.  He couldn’t wait to hold her in 
his arms and finally bring his dreams to reality. 

He hadn’t had a dream since he had told her his feelings.  He 
hadn’t heard her thoughts either.  He didn’t know if he should 
be happy about it or worried.  He’d give it some time and decide 
then. 

“Rodney,” Elizabeth’s voice stopped him. 

He blinked and found himself in front of the door to her room.  
He stared at her as she leaned against the door frame, her arms 
folded.  He cleared his throat, trying to hide the embarrassment 
he felt.  He put his hands behind his back, hoping he gave the 
appearance of calm. 

“Elizabeth,” he said.  “I’m out.”

“I can see that,” Elizabeth said, smiling. 

His cheeks burned and he doubted it was from arousal.  He 
glanced away, wishing for a Wraith attack or something to go 
wrong in the lab.  Anything to kill the nervousness he felt. 

“Want to come in?” Elizabeth asked, stepping away from the door.

He blinked, his heart racing at what she offered.  He cleared 
his throat as he stepped into her room.  The nervousness grew, 
but he forced it down.  This was Elizabeth.  She knew how he 
felt about her and they shared each other’s thoughts and dreams.  
He knew what he was getting into, yet he was still nervous.  

“I haven’t had an erotic dream in a couple of nights,” Elizabeth 
said as she closed the gap between them.  “What about you?”

“No,” Rodney answered as he enclosed her in his arms.  “I can’t 
hear what you’re thinking, either.  It’s strange.  I was just 
getting used to it.”

Elizabeth rested her head against his chest.  Calmness washed 
over him.  He loved her being in his arms and he wished they 
could stay like this forever. 

“I know,” she said as her arms went around him, enfolding him in 
her warmth.  “I kept expecting your voice inside my head at any 
moment.  I almost miss it.”

Rodney smiled against her hair, knowing how she felt.  He closed 
his eyes, breathing in her scent and nearness.  

“I love you so much,” he whispered as he pulled back to look at 
her.  “You’ll never know how much.”

Elizabeth smiled, cupping his face in her hands. He stared into 
her eyes and saw the love for him there.  So much emotion filled 
him he thought he would burst.  He took a deep breath and took 
her lips with his.  The taste of her filled his very being, 
sending a wave of fire surging through him.  His hands buried 
themselves in her hair as he deepened the kiss, wanting more of 
her. 

She opened her mouth and his tongue searched out hers.  He 
moaned into the kiss, hands exploring her body. She stepped 
closer to him, their bodies almost merging.  His arousal grew 
and he wanted to fill her against him.  He pulled her shirt off, 
tossing it against the wall.  Her bra was next and he dropped it 
to the floor.  He took a moment to gaze at her and his breathing 
grew rapid.

“Elizabeth,” he gasped, barely able to get the word out.

Elizabeth smiled and removed her pants, keeping his gaze with 
hers.  He removed his clothes, letting them fall where they may.  
He took her in his arms again, moaning at the sensation of their 
skin touching. 

He picked her up, amazed at how light she was and carried her to 
the bed.  He laid her down, following after her.  He kissed 
every part of her, loving the sounds she made.  He took a breast 
into his mouth, smiling at the gasp that escaped from her.  

“Rodney, please,” she moaned and he almost lost it then.  
Rodney didn't have to ask if she was sure. Her voice told him 
everything.  He heard her gasp as he entered her.

She moaned as Rodney moved inside her.  She wrapped her legs 
around his waist, driving him deeper inside her.

Rodney felt her fingernails dig into his shoulders as he thrust 
faster and deeper into her.  He had dreamed of this for weeks 
and now he was actually doing it for real.  He couldn’t believe 
it, but it was wonderful. 

"Rodney!"

Rodney thrust fiercely as he felt her muscles close around him. 
She felt so good. He never felt anything like this before. 

"Elizabeth," he moaned into her ear. She cried out as she fell 
over the cliff into ecstasy. Rodney thrust one last time before 
he released into her, joining her in their cries of passion.

~*~

Elizabeth woke to a warm body beside her.  Startled, she glanced 
toward her left and saw Rodney McKay lying next to her.  She 
smiled to herself as she watched him sleep.  He looked so 
peaceful as if nothing in the world bothered him.  She hoped she 
would see more of it as she touched his face. 

Rodney opened his eyes and her heart soared at the sight of his 
blue eyes. 

“Morning,” she whispered as she ran her fingers through his 
hair.  He shivered in response and she smiled. 

“Morning,” he returned sleepily.  “Sleep well?”

“Wonderfully,” Elizabeth said, her fingers traveling down his 
chest. Her eyes followed and her mouth became dry. 

“Elizabeth,” Rodney said, his voice husky.  “We have to get to 
work.”

“Spoil sport,” she said as she raised her eyes to meet his.  “I 
don’t know if I want to let you leave this bed.”

Rodney laughed, his arms wrapping around her, pulling her close.  
She loved the feel of his arms around her.  She felt safe and 
warm.  She placed her head against his chest, not wanting to 
leave.  She heard his heart and she closed her eyes.  

“They can wait awhile longer,” he said, his hands moving down 
her back, bringing her temperature up.  

“They can,” she agreed and brought his lips down to meet hers. 



                             END






1