A Meeting With Dr. Weir

by Cynical_Coat

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asc/ccoat/meeting.php
Summary: In order to keep her own sanity intact, Elizabeth decides it's past time to have a serious talk with John

Elizabeth watched her flagship team file out of the room, Rodney and John already starting in on each other about something that had happened off world, and made a decision.

"Major?"

He turned to look at her, the others continuing out into the hall.

"What's up?"

She smiled, trying to keep him at ease, which seemed to put him on edge...

"Are you free later... maybe after dinner? I think that we should have a chat." She said, unable to keep all of her concern out of her voice. He cocked his head inquisitively and then nodded.

"Sure... See you then." He was gone before she could more than nod.

***

"What was that about?" Rodney asked as soon as the door slid shut. John shrugged.

"She wants to *talk*... later." He said simply, not sure what to make of it himself. There was a chorus of 'ooooh's' from his team that made him grin.

"What'd you do?" Ford asked with mock horror. Or maybe not so mock... the Lizzinator could be damn scary if you got her mad.

"Or what does she wish you to do?" Teyla ammended, and they all looked at her wide eyed. She grinned and shrugged. "You were each thinking much the same thing."

"Yeah... but *you* said it." Rodney countered. John turned to him, his shock still growing.

"McKay!... Tell me you weren't thinking about-- that!"

Rodney smirked at him.

"My mother always told me not to lie, Major."

Ford was grinning just as wide.

"She's right, sir... I thought it too."

John shook his head.

"You're all out of your minds, you know that. I'm sure she just wants to talk."

"Yeah... *Later*." Rodney muttered, and John actually started to blush.

-from outrage!-

Right...

She had said 'after dinner'... if it was about a problem she had, or something to do with governing the city, she'd have just said it now. Why wait if she only wanted to talk?

Assuming that was all she wanted...

"Let's not jump to any conclusions, alright? I'll go talk to her after we eat... you guys can hold off on starting the movie without me, right?"

Rodney nodded, looking almost serious.

"Sure... It won't take much longer than ten minutes, right?" That could have been an innocent remark, if a smirk hadn't broken through at the end. Ford and Teyla dissolving into laughter didn't help much.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" For some reason, that made Rodney turn away, and redoubled Ford and Teyla's mirth.

***

Even though she was waiting for him, the gentle rap on her door took her by surprise. She smiled at her own jumpiness and tried to look relaxed.

"Come in." The door slid open immediately, and John stepped in with a smile already in place. She had dressed down in order to put him more at ease... but he was dressed to the nines. If she wasn't so sure of herself, she might have faltered then, but she knew that his heart was already given. Even if he didn't... "Have a seat, John." She walked around her desk and sat next to him, so that he wouldn't think that she was hiding... and so that she wouldn't feel like she was. She opened her mouth and then closed it, searching for her carefully scripted opening and coming up blank. To his credit, he just sat there waiting for her to find her place.

"I've noticed that you..." She began and then shook her head. "No..."

"Elizabeth?" He prompted, almost gentle and she looked him straight in the eye.

"It's about you and Rodney." She said evenly.

That seemed to catch him by surprise. She felt a momentary smugness at having shaken him even slightly.

"It is?... So," He gestured vaguely between them. "Not coming on to me?"

"Me?" He nodded and she shook her head. "No, Major... not at all." She pursed her lips. "Why? Did you think I was?"

"Teyla said--" He began, but she waved a hand and supressed a laugh.

"Never mind, Major... That's not what this is about." But she made mental note to have a little chat of a diffenert sort with Teyla later.

"Then, what? What specifically did you want to talk about... about me and McKay?"

She licked her lips and decided just to launch in.

"There's no delicate way to put this, John... I know that you're in love with him."

John's eyes widened slightly, but that was his only immediate indication that he had even heard her. His smile stayed perfectly intact.

"With Rodney?" He said after a moment, and she simply nodded. "No, I'm no--" He stopped mid-word, his smile losing confidence. "Are you sure?"

That struck her as a very strange question, but she nodded just the same.

"Absolutely, John."

He tilted his head back and sighed.

"Now that you mention it... I do practically have a stroke everytime he almost gets himself killed..." He mused. "And I actually like it when he starts explaining how random things work... not that I'd ever tell him that."

"And you argue like an old married couple." She added, but he didn't seem to hear her.

"I miss him even when we're together..." He breathed. "Even now, when I just saw him, and when I know that I'm going to see him soon..." His brow furrowed. "This is crazy..."

She reached over and squeezed his shoulder, finally making him look at her with confused eyes.

"No it's not... it's love."

It took a second, but suddenly they were both roaring with laughter over how corny that was.

"Thanks, Liz... I needed that."

"Me too, John..."

He smiled genuinely at her.

"And thanks for telling me what I should already have known..."

"You did..."

He nodded and then grinned.

"Well... it would seem I have a movie night to go crash." He turned to the door and then glanced back. "It's too bad."

"What is?"

"We could have been great."

-Fin-