Title: Just Like Heaven
Author: Angel Leviathan
Spoilers: None. I think.
Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis, characters, concept, etc, aren't mine.
Notes: Written for 50lyricsfanfic
Her hair falls in ragged, singed, curls around her dirt smudged face, she hasn't slept in three days, and she has more than her fair share of cuts and bruises. She's barely standing really, aches penetrating every muscle of her body, but she's smiling and she's happy, even relieved, unable to tell the difference between the two. Elizabeth laughs as the victorious, delighted screams and shouts of her people meet her ears. They're just as battered as she is and, were she not afraid her already stressed vocal chords would betray her, she is sure she would be screaming along with them.
They've been through hell. And back. Every attack conceivable has been thrown at the city over the past week and there's been more than one occasion when they thought they weren't going to make it. They considered running, and were given the option to even return to Earth, but the thought of always running wasn't appealing to anyone. They'd held attacks off before. They could do it again. So was their thinking. Even if, a few days later, they were sure they were just waiting for the end. During some moments they couldn't even see the end.
They're screaming at the biggest hive ship they've ever seen. Ex hive ship. Destroyed hive ship. Broken into tiny pieces and dispersing through the atmosphere hive ship. The best kind of hive ship.
Elizabeth is grinning broadly and is actually telling herself not to jump up and down, as some of her personnel are doing. She feels a hand on her shoulder and she glances back, beaming, to see an expression she assumes must be similar to hers gazing back at her. John smiles and shouts something to the air, something even she can't hear over the celebrations going on around her. She gasps as Rodney grabs her and spins her round, laughing, before dutifully placing her back beside John. He coughs, blushing a little, and shuffles off, almost as if he knows what the colonel is going to do. More cheers echo round the command centre as John suddenly grips her tightly to him and kisses her passionately.
She's so stunned, and so high, that all she can do is laugh when they break apart. But he smiles at her and she knows they're going to continue whatever conversation their sudden embrace started, when they've cobbled some of their city back together.
This is heaven to no one else but her.
And she'll defend it as long as she breathes.
Fin